Run Alone? This Sports Bra is Designed for Self-Defense

Photo: Booby Trap Bras

Last spring Jennifer Cutrona was attacked by a man on a local running trail outside Austin, Texas. Luckily she managed to escape unharmed. But the 35-year-old mom of two was determined to find a way to defend herself if that ever happened again.

The next day she sewed a sheath into her sports bra so she could carry a knife for protection. And a year later she is selling a line of sports bras with self-defense features built in: “I want to get these on as many bodies as possible,” says Cutrona.

Her Just in Case Knife Bra and Just in Case Pepper Spray Bra allow you to carry either a small knife or a pepper spray canister in a spot that you can access in an instant. The pocket in the knife bra uses a magnet to keep a 3-inch blade flat and secure, while the pepper spray bra can accommodate different sized bottles of spray. “It may take you two to three attempts to actually hit your attacker with pepper spray, so smaller one-use bottles may not be enough,” Cutrona points out.

“Women need to be prepared while out on the trails,” she explains. But that said, Cutrona urges customers to look up their local laws on carrying knives and defense sprays before purchasing one of her bras.

Just in Case Knife Bra and knife ($54.99 and $12.99; boobytrapbras.com)