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Men's Athletic Tights

When men's tights were introduced to the market, the makers had great hopes of succeeding particularly in the athletics area. Tights were available in many colors and patterns. Tights also had a much better fit than long underwear made from cotton (the use of synthetics for reinforcement did not occur until later) - additionally, long underwear had the negative imagine of being unsportsmanlike and "old man underwear", and since the 1970's, particularly the younger generation rejected them.

Men's tights, on the other hand, were considered "modern" and did not have a negative stigma attached to them like long underwear did. Men who wore long underwear were considered ridiculous, as often depicted in films and posters.

"Men's knit tights have become a very important article whose revenue doubles each year. They are available with feet, stirrups and with Lycra. This popular article for athletes is highly appreciated for its low-maintenance." (1977)

Good sales figures were achieved with tights that were suitable for almost all types of winter sports, especially skiing. The rub marks from skiing boots, which were caused by socks and long underwear, could be avoided by wearing tights.

Special skiing tights were developed, for example with integrated terrycloth feet.

Tights with a typical stripe pattern were developed for ice hockey players. They were extremely elastic in order to allow the knee and shin protectors to be worn underneath.

Ice hockey player wearing special ice hockey tights.

An ice hockey player assembling his underwear.

Advertisement for footless hose for ice hockey players by the company Kisapuku.

Close-up: Advertisement for footless hose for ice hockey players by the company Kisapuku.

Tights also asserted themselves for speed skaters and figure skating. The silver medal winners at the 1962 Olympics Hans-Jürgen Bäumler and Marika Kilius supposedly were wearing tights made by the Austrian company Sastri (Salzburg Stocking Industry).

Newspaper clipping with an article on the Dutch speed skater Erik Hulzebosch, who wore tights under his skating suit.

In the late 1970's, special tights were developed for cross-country skiing. These "cross-country skiing tights" were also ideal for any other sport or leisure activity where knickerbockers were worn.

Adidas cross-country ski suits, 1978.

Adidas complete cross-country skiing set. In 1978, Adidas produced a special pair of men's tights for cross-country skiing.

Label for the Adidas cross-country skiing tights for men, 1978.

Adidas cross-country skiing tights for men, 1978.

Tights were particularly suitable for the knee-breeches typically worn by cross-country skiers.

Tights are also very advantageous during hiking or for mountain climbing since they do not slide down under knee-breeches like knee-length socks or socks with knee straps. In February 1974, the Wehretal-based hosiery manufacturer Rollmann & Rose noted that "they registered an increasing interest in athletic and hiking socks and tights for men."

Advertisement for Küffe men's tights for athletes, skiers and hunters, in ribbed and structured patterns, app. 1972.

Men's "breeches" tights made by the company Karl Eger in Weilheim, 1970's.

Tights which were patterned well above the knee could ideally be worn beneath knee-breeches and looked like socks with knee straps.

This was recognized by hunting apparel specialists during the end of the 1960's as well. The first hunting tights were produced in 1969, and their characteristics were highlighted in hunting apparel catalogs: "under no circumstances can tights slip down underneath knee-breeches, this is their biggest advantage," states the 1973/1974 Kettner catalog.

Special hunting tights were increasingly offered for sale since then and became a very lucrative article, as reported in the 1975/1976 Kettner catalog.

Men's hunting tights made by Foresta, 1974.

Men's hunting tights made by Foresta, 1974.

Men's hunting tights made by Foresta, 1976.

Men's hunting tights made by Foresta, 1976.

Tights were also an ideal alternative to hunting underwear, which was usually worn in cold weather. Hunting underwear was usually a pair of green long underwear on over-the-knee length socks with straps.

Hunting underwear

Tights are worn in various athletic activities, e.g. under shorts during running, where they are recommended for temperatures under 10° Celsius:

"I recommend wearing tights instead of long underwear in cold weather. They keep you warmer and are less confining for the leg and butt muscles." (1982)

"Long trousers. When it's cold, you have to protect your legs. You would be surprised, though, to see how long it takes until you actually have to wear long trousers. I always wear shorts until the temperature drops to below freezing. When the mercury barely makes it above zero, then I wear my cotton shorts with black tights. In this way, I can keep the wind and cold at bay, and the black color absorbs the sunshine." (1983)

"When the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, it is advisable to run wearing tights." (1986)

"When the weather turns cooler, tights made of synthetic yarns - which can also be worn for races - are optimal. Lycra tights are also suitable for running in 10° C weather, when shorts seem to lightweight - as is often the case for less athletic or older runners. Synthetic tights are not cheap, though. For beginners, cotton tights can be used - they only cost a third. (1988)

When the weather is cooler, tights are suitable to keep the muscles warm, which is recommended for temperatures under 10° C.

Since the 1970's, tights were sometimes part of the prescribed athletic gear for winter soccer, if it was cold.

"In the winter, soccer players are wearing cotton tights beneath their sweat pants and socks more and more frequently. These not only keep you warm, but also help preventing abrasions when the player falls. However, they are only suitable in dry weather; when it rains and the field is damp, they quickly soak up water and lose their positive characteristics." (1989)

"Sweat Pants - Tights

Soccer players frequently have to play on hard courts or on frozen grass. In both cases, the legs are at risk.

On the hard court, each contact with the ground immediately leads to a relatively large abrasions on the knee or thigh. On these playing fields, falls can easily lead to bruises, too. The unfamiliar cold can also mean additional discomfort, which might negatively influence their playing skills. The player can avoid these situations by wearing sweat pants underneath their colored shorts, which is allowed according to the rules. In extremely cold weather, tights, used especially for gymnastics, can be worn as well.

Both sweat pants and tights can limit skin abrasions, but they can also negatively influence the mobility of the player." (1983)

Tights are worn in other sports, too, though they are not visible. For example in horseback riding, where either specially cut riding underwear or riding tights. As opposed to long underwear, circular-knit tights do not have any seams, thus minimizing much-feared chapping.

Brochure for men's and lady's hosiery for hunting, horseback riding and winter sports, Ube brand, made by the Blumenthaler athletic hosiery mill, 1970's.

For the same reasons, seamless tights are often worn underneath padded jersey for cycling during cold weather.

While swimmers were wearing wool tights in the 1970's for the reasons listed above, the 2002 Olympic gold medalists wore skintight, full-length bathing suits made of a new high-tech material which emanates the skin of sharks and thus decreases water resistance.