Off My Mind: Should Heroes Give Up Spandex?

Superheroes and spandex, the two go together like movies and popcorn. When you see a new hero, the first thing you notice is their costume. When you associate an existing hero, you think about how they look. Heroes have pretty much always worn spandex. It's a tradition. There have been some exceptions. There have been some heroes that have changed their look over the years.  
 
With the way the battles tend to get a little more...violent these days, should they give up their spandex for something more durable? 

You can see above, some characters that have given up the spandex for a more leathery-look. With Hawkeye, the leather outfit exists in the Ultimate Universe. When Bruce Wayne returns as Batman, it looks like his outfit will have a more leather base to it instead of tights. With Wolverine, he gave that up and went back to his yellow and blue outfit. I appreciate a flashy-trademark costume as much as the next person.  
 
How many times have the heroes' costumes been ripped and torn? With the economy these days, can they truly afford to repair or have multiple costumes? 
 == TEASER == 

Spider-Man is a good example. This poor guy has always had bad luck. Today, he doesn't even have a job. To make things worse, recently his roommate started selling his clothes because he couldn't keep up with the rent. How many times have you seen Spider-Man's costume ripped to shreds. We know he must have some sewing skills since he made the costume himself when he was a teenager. But even so, the material and thread cost money.  
 
I don't know how Spider-Man would look in a leather outfit. Maybe a little like his "Noir" version. Spider-Man did try an "armored" version thanks to Tony Stark. There were strings attached and it didn't quite feel right (maybe it was the color scheme).  
 
What should heroes do these days? Is it time to throw away the spandex (as we've seen Spider-Man himself do a few times). It might be a tough sell to comic readers. As I mentioned, the spandex outfit is a tradition. I just think that perhaps heroes need to find something more durable and practical or work on their evading skills. What are your thoughts?