Cooperalls - does anyone still make them?

[Yukon Joe]

I saw video clips of the Flyers wearing "Cooperalls" during their warm up last night and it got me feeling nostalgic. I wore Cooperalls as a kid - I thought they were pretty cool back in the 1980s.

Does any company make a Cooperall-style pant anymore? I have a funny urge to show up at a rec hockey game wearing some, just to see the reaction I'd get.

Are ringette pants basically the same thing as Cooperalls? Any reason why those wouldn't work (other than getting chirped for being a man wearing ringette pants)?

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[Smirnov2Chistov]

I saw video clips of the Flyers wearing "Cooperalls" during their warm up last night and it got me feeling nostalgic. I wore Cooperalls as a kid - I thought they were pretty cool back in the 1980s.

Does any company make a Cooperall-style pant anymore? I have a funny urge to show up at a rec hockey game wearing some, just to see the reaction I'd get.

Are ringette pants basically the same thing as Cooperalls? Any reason why those wouldn't work (other than getting chirped for being a man wearing ringette pants)?

I remember growing up those 'tracksuit swishy pants' / or 'cooperalls look' use to be what nearly every boy wore in elementary school lol. I don't even know if any company makes it anymore.

 

[swoopster]

I remember growing up those 'tracksuit swishy pants' / or 'cooperalls look' use to be what nearly every boy wore in elementary school lol. I don't even know if any company makes it anymore.

I played in that era wearing them and loved them...still wear my lightened-down girdle over sweatpants when coaching.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Are ringette pants basically the same thing as Cooperalls? Any reason why those wouldn't work (other than getting chirped for being a man wearing ringette pants)?

I'm not sure how ringette pants work, but as I understand it Cooperalls are basically just a full-length shell that fits over the top of your hockey pants. So unlike roller hockey pants or ref pants, they are just a layer of fabric with no built-in pads. I'm not sure anybody makes them any more, as demand is basically zero.

 

[Yukon Joe]

I'm not sure how ringette pants work, but as I understand it Cooperalls are basically just a full-length shell that fits over the top of your hockey pants. So unlike roller hockey pants or ref pants, they are just a layer of fabric with no built-in pads. I'm not sure anybody makes them any more, as demand is basically zero.

Yeah the pant itself is just a shell, but you still wore a girdle and shin pads underneath as the actual protection.

Supposedly the knock against them was that they were too "slippery" if you fell down. That might have made sense in the days of knitted socks, but nowadays the poly/nylon hockeysocks have to be just as slippery as a nylon Cooperall.

Mostly I think they just offended the traditionalists.

As I look at ringette pants they look basically the same as Cooperalls - they're just sold as "ringette pants + girdle".

 

[tarheelhockey]

Yeah the pant itself is just a shell, but you still wore a girdle and shin pads underneath as the actual protection.

I may be wrong about this but I believe the idea was to wear actual hockey pants underneath them. You can kind of see the outline in old photos. That distinguishes it from e.g. roller hockey girdle + shell pants.

 

[Yukon Joe]

I may be wrong about this but I believe the idea was to wear actual hockey pants underneath them. You can kind of see the outline in old photos. That distinguishes it from e.g. roller hockey girdle + shell pants.

I believe you're wrong.

Cooperalls were designed by Brian Heaton, the senior designer for Cooper Canada from 1972 to 1975[1] and were used in ice hockey, ringette, and broomball. Promoted as "a complete hockey uniform system" it consisted of an elasticated girdle extending from the middle of the rib cage to the top of the knees, worn beneath a tracksuit-style woven nylon outer shell covering waist to ankle. The girdle had pockets in to which lightweight, compression moulded foam pads were placed and the close fitting nature of the garment ensured that the pads always stayed in contact with the areas of the body they were designed to protect. This replaced the traditional combination of short hockey pants and socks, and Cooper claimed that when combined with their own brand of extra light shin guards, shoulder pads and gloves the system weighed 40% less than a conventional uniform.[2] As well as being considerably lighter, the system offered players greater freedom of movement and improved hip, pelvis and thigh protection.[3][4]

Cooperalls - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I have to admit though that while I remember wearing Cooperalls as a kid, I don't remember what I wore underneath them.

 

[kook10]

Not sure they fit over girdles since they are explicity ODR pants, but they call them Cooperalls

ODR Cooperalls

CLASSIC SWAGGER. MODERN MATERIALS. Inspired by the look and feel of the legendary Cooperalls from our dad's generation. Designed to go from the rink to the pub and back again.

mensleaguesweaters.com

 

[gswift]

IIRC the 80s Flyers didn't even wear "Cooperalls" but rather CCM Pro-Pac full length pants, but everyone refers to them as Cooperalls, since Cooper's version was more popular at retail...