Superhero blockbusters may send box office sales through the roof but they have also sparked a surprising fashion trend  by putting men in tights.

Menswear Designer Calvin Klein Spring/Summer 2007 collection saw men in tights walk the runways.

UK stockists are reporting record sales of sheer, patterned and support tights for men. Retailers say men’s tights are not being sold as fetish garments, but as practical, comfortable and stylish everyday wear.

“I don’t know what is going on, sales have gone mad. In the past two months we have gone from selling 300 pairs of tights a month to men in the UK, to selling more than 1,000.” said Kieran Hughes, director of the tights stockists Precious Collections.

Three Reasons Men give for donning the skin tight wear

-Some simply like the added insulation they bring underneath trousers.

-Others put them on under shorts and claim they bring such health benefits as back support.

- Few even claim that tights are the latest symbol of metrosexuality.

Mr Hughes said: “German men have been wearing them for years. More than 50 per cent of German men wear tights, including famous German football players. I can’t imagine many footballers here doing that.”

It appears this new fashion idea has not caught on in the Canada or the U.S. Except for the NBA where they passed a rule outlawing them.