How Did Men's Underwear Become a Sports Bra?
Wednesday, November 11, 2026204 words3 minutes1041 reads
In 1977, Vermont runner Lisa Lindahl faced a problem that ordinary bras failed to solve: inadequate support and painful rubbing during exercise. She enlisted costume designer Polly Smith, who brought in Hinda Miller. Their challenge was to reduce movement while keeping the garment comfortable and breathable over a long run.
An unlikely prototype emerged from a joke. Lindahl's husband pulled a jockstrap, men's supportive athletic underwear, over his head. Recognizing its potential, Smith altered two jockstraps and stitched them together. The resulting Jogbra turned an existing garment into a solution for a different group of athletes. Lindahl and Miller developed the business, and the design received a US patent in 1979.
Its emergence coincided with a wider shift in participation. Running was gaining popularity, while Title IX, a 1972 US law, had helped expand educational sports opportunities for girls and women. The Jogbra addressed the accompanying need for equipment designed around women's bodies rather than expecting them to tolerate unsuitable clothing.
Playtex bought the company in 1990, and the product later became part of Champion. The three inventors entered the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2022. Their story illustrates how a familiar discomfort, taken seriously, could inspire an invention with lasting practical significance.
