Where to Buy a Good and Affordable Superman Suit
I received this message on Whatsapp this week: "Can you recommend anywhere to get an affordable and good Supes suit?”
I get this question at least once or twice a month on my Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram (user howtokillasuperhero) and Snapchat (user killsuperhero). And each time, I like to help out by recommending ways to put together a Superman look. In order to provide help to all cosplayers and kinksters out there, and not just those in my contact list, Here’s some options I put together for all of you. I also have some tips if you have more budget later on this post.
A Solid Superman suit for about $100 US Dollars
For this look, we’re going to put together a solid spandex look for both the classic Superman and the Man of Steel version.
Bodysuit and tights
Zentai Zentai: You can get a Superman Man of Steel suit for about $65 USD. Not bad. Be sure to provide all your measurements when you order in case any customization needs to happen.
Ebay: Your best best here is to enter “Superman Zentai” in search. You will get results for what I call the standard Superman zentai option. The quality tends to be decent, and you can consider this an entry level Supes suit. They come with capes and trunks. Heads up, the capes are kind of flimsy, but hey, budget. I am not recommending a particular seller, because they tend to appear and reappear often. There’s a lot crappy designs, but you can find one like the one below that has the right colors and tailoring. Don’t forget that many of these Chinese zentai vendors will customize for as little as $5, so if you want a crotch zipper or custom sizing, go for it. I have never really had a bad experience with these companies other than a couple of purchases that smelled like cigarette smoke. The quality on this suit is good enough for cosplay, fetish events, and it should last at least a couple of years as long as you don’t do stupid things when you wash it.
- Herostime: I have had hit or miss experiences with this site, but in general, they offer a quality product and will also customize. Their selection of Superman suits is great, and I recommend this one: Classic Design Superman Spandex/Lycra Superhero Costume. It looks sick!
Get Better Red Trunks
The trunks that come included in some of the suits above leave a little bit to be desired. In my case, they sit too low on the hips and do not cover my butt they way they do in the comics and movie versions of the costume. I like the Cliff Keen Lycra brief on Amazon. Just remember that it does not have belt loops for the yellow belt. If you are obsessive, you will want to add in the loops, but it’s probably fine without. I also like the Speedo Men's Powerflex Eco Solid Swimsuit in red. I have worn that brief with my Superman suit before. If you are doing the Man of Steel version, you don’t need a belt.
Boots
I like the Funtasma Men's Hero 100 Engineer Boot. No, it’s not a perfect match, but you want to stay on budget, right? Suck it up and use this boot. It’s good enough.
The Comic-Con Cosplay-Level Option ($500+)
At this level, you’re going to spending lots of money. Rather than me telling you what your budget cap should be, I will just tell you where to go buy this stuff. Be ready to shell out extra for any customization, too.
Everything but the boots
Buy your full suit from Snakepit Studios custom cosplay and movie replicas. They have the New 52 Superman costume on their site, but you can ask them for the Christopher Reeve, Superman Returns or Man of Steel version. They will work to give you the best and most accurate look.
Buy your suit from RPC studio. I also highly recommend this company. You will need to use their custom superhero costume options on their web store.
You can buy a design from Gunhead design, get the design file printed on a giant sheet of spandex at Fabric on Demand, and hire a seamstress or tailor to sew it for you. This is a cheaper option, but requires more work. I featured this option in my sublimated spandex superhero costume series on YouTube
Boots
You’re not going to like my answer on this one. Just like a good man, boots are HARD TO FIND. It’s really going to depend on how much you want to spend, and which version of Superman you are trying to achieve. For this I suggest really shopping around or contacting other high-level cosplayers. You can start by joining the Cosplay for Sale FB group. You can also try Ebay and Amazon. This pair of Man of Steel boots on Amazon looks decent (since they are aiming for replica-level detail), but take your time shopping for boots. And don’t buy crap just because you’re in a hurry.
Got more questions about where to put together your superhero costumes and other superhero fetish questions? Send us an email at au@howtokillasuperhero.net or join our Facebook page.