Building MNTD: Solving the Problems Men Learned to Live With
Over the years, Knix became known for creating category-defining innovations for women.
Eventually, a question emerged: what would happen if we applied that same problem-solving approach to men's essentials?
The answer to that question became MNTD.
Built by a small team within Knix, MNTD launched to create elevated everyday basics that solve the frustrations men have simply learned to live with.
What the team didn't expect was that the product they thought would be the hardest sell would become one of the brand's biggest successes.
"It's funny looking back," says James, MNTD's Associate Creative Director. "Before launch, I spoke to men of all ages and backgrounds, and the overwhelming response was always the same: 'I don't need moisture protection. I'd never wear that. It's embarrassing.'"
And yet, once MNTD entered the market, the exact opposite happened…
Building Something Men Didn't Know They Needed
For James, the journey to MNTD started long before the brand existed.
He first joined Knix in 2017 as the company's first dedicated creative team member. Even after leaving to pursue other projects, he found himself wondering when Knix would finally enter the men's category.
"When I heard rumblings that it was finally happening, I texted Joanna immediately," he says. "She confirmed it and asked if I'd be interested in helping build the brand from the ground up. I jumped at the opportunity. It felt like a chance to take everything Knix had learned about solving real problems and bring it to a category that had been largely overlooked."
As the team began researching the market and speaking with customers, one thing quickly became clear: there was a bigger opportunity here than anyone realized.
"At the most basic level, we felt like men were being underserved," says Kate, GM of Knix's Emerging Brands. "The underwear market had become incredibly crowded, but most brands were competing on the same thing: comfort."
Comfort, she explains, should be the expectation—not the differentiator.
"The more people we spoke to, the more we realized there were entire categories of needs that had simply been normalized," says James.
Men, he says, had learned to live with problems the industry had never bothered to solve.
These insights became the foundation for MNTD—and ultimately led the team to uncover a problem that was hiding in plain sight.
The Problems Nobody Was Talking AboutThe team's biggest breakthrough came from listening.
"From the outside, it doesn't seem like a complex issue," says James. "But for most guys, finding shirts that fit well, don't lose their shape, and actually last is incredibly difficult."
The same was true for underwear.
As conversations became more honest, the team realized many men had experienced moments where they wished they had a little extra protection—whether from sweat, leaks, drips, or other everyday realities.
Still, talking about those realities wasn't easy.
Whenever the team explained the concept behind MNTD's moisture-protection technology in the early days, the reaction was often confusion. Sometimes people laughed. Sometimes they changed the subject.
But beneath the discomfort was something deeper.
"Men have been conditioned to think that acknowledging physical vulnerability is a sign of weakness," says James. "The challenge wasn't whether these experiences existed. It was that most men had never been given permission to talk about them."
"The need exists, but the conversation doesn't," says Kate. "A lot of women discovered Knix through conversations with friends. Men don't tend to have those same conversations, which creates a much bigger challenge."
The Assumption We Got WrongBefore launch, the team interviewed hundreds of men and heard the same response again and again:
"I would never buy that."
Some even said they'd rather improvise with paper towels than purchase a product associated with incontinence.
As a result, MNTD took a cautious approach. Moisture protection was part of the assortment, but it wasn't the centerpiece of the brand story. In fact, the team didn't initially launch its highest-absorbency style because demand was expected to be limited.
Then customers started responding.
"We realized we needed to stop dancing around the problem and speak openly about it," says James. "Once we shifted our messaging to be direct and honest about the technology, it completely resonated with customers."
"Demand took off almost immediately," says Kate.
MNTD's Buffer™ Boxer quickly became a standout product. It sold out—then sold out again.
The response was so strong that the team accelerated the launch of Everdry™, a higher-absorbency style that wasn't originally part of the assortment.
"Consumers don't always have the language to describe what they want—especially in categories that carry stigma," says Kate.
In other words: customers said one thing, but their behavior told a very different story.
The reason became clear once men experienced the product for themselves.
"Regardless of the level of protection someone needs, every guy has experienced at least one awkward moment where he wished he had a little extra backup," says James.
But MNTD wasn't just solving a problem—it was reframing the category.
Instead of creating products that felt clinical or medical, the team focused on building premium underwear that happened to include advanced moisture protection.
Discreet. Comfortable. Stylish. Dignified.
"The interesting thing is that most customers aren't buying it because they're thinking about leakage all day," says Kate. "They're buying peace of mind."
Ultimately, that's what resonated most: not the technology itself, but the confidence that comes with forgetting it's there.
The Impact That Matters Most
While growth and customer retention are exciting milestones, both James and Kate agree that the most rewarding part of building MNTD has been hearing directly from customers.
As stories began rolling in, the team started hearing firsthand what confidence looked like in practice.
Again and again, they heard a similar sentiment: customers didn't want disposable products, bulky solutions, or products that felt medical. They wanted great underwear that looked good, felt good, and fit seamlessly into their lives.
At its core, that's what MNTD is really about.
Not underwear.
Not t-shirts.
Not socks.
Confidence.
"Life happens, and our bodies change," says James. "Products like the Buffer™ Boxer are powerful because they provide protection in a way that feels completely normal and dignified."
It's a philosophy that feels deeply connected to Knix's original mission: solving real problems, challenging stigma, and helping people feel more comfortable in their own skin.
What's Next?
For MNTD, this is just the beginning.
The team continues to focus on elevated essentials while tackling the everyday problems many brands are still unwilling to address.
"We refuse to ignore the things other brands find too difficult or awkward to talk about," says James.
For Kate, the opportunity extends beyond a single product category.
"At MNTD, we talk about moisture protection rather than leakproof because we think there's an opportunity to expand what performance means in men's essentials," she says.
The mission remains the same: create products that make everyday life a little easier and give men more confidence in the moments that matter.
With new innovations already in development—including a highly anticipated launch coming later this summer—the team is just getting started.
After all, the best opportunities aren't always the ones customers ask for. Sometimes they're the problems people have simply learned to live with.
