If you’re an experienced Cruiser you know just how valuable lube can be. No, we don’t mean spit—we mean real lube. You know, the silicone kind that doesn’t dry out, so you can keep going for hours? You never know when a spontaneous cruising moment might happen, and if you’re a pro, they probably happen often. That’s why we recommend keeping a few milliliters of lube on your person at all times.
When we heard Goodparts had created mini lube packets for the on-the-go Cruiser, we knew we had to stock them in the Sniffies HUSH shop. We caught up with Goodparts founder Dave Shanfield to chat about integrating our sexual identities, Goodparts’ origin story, and the benefits of glass dildos.
Sniffies: How did you get started in lube? What drew you to the business?
Dave Shanfield: It really came from, like, personal need. I'm gay and I'd be buying lube regularly, but it just didn't feel like there were any brands that were speaking to me. Most of the lube brands out there felt really outdated—kind of either cringey or clinical.
And then there were some more modern brands that all kind of had a very feminine look and feel, and most of their content was about women's health, which is awesome. But I also wanted something that could reflect me, my taste, my style, and have a little bit of sexuality and mystery in it. Those are all important parts of the sexual experience.
I wanted a product that could reflect that, and something I could leave out on my shelf and wouldn't be embarrassed about. I wanted a lube that I’d want to tell my friends about.
S: There are a lot of lubes out there. What makes Goodparts stand out?
DS: It's such an overused term, but there is a real authenticity to Goodparts. I made this because I wanted it. We are bootstrapped, independent, and that means we can continue to make things that people want. That’s where the Cruisers—the travel sized lube packages—came from. That was the number one most requested product by our customers.
S: The people want to cruise—they demand it. That kind of sexual exploration seems so central to the Goodparts ethos. How do you see Sniffies and Goodparts overlapping in terms of the evolving sexual wellness and pleasure-seeking landscape?
DS: For so long, brands speaking to queer people have treated the queer community as this monolith; it's one kind of person with a shared set of values. Often that resulted in branding and marketing representing one kind of person. And sure there are definitely so many shared experiences that influence queer identity, but times are changing. Those experiences are changing. we're all so much more nuanced than that.
Goodparts is a and a product for all people, and particularly gay men, but I do think it speaks to this more intricate, specific part of us. A part of us that wants to be seen as sexual and stylish. The kind of person that takes care of our minds and bodies, and particularly this idea of integrated sexuality, where it's part of our sense of self.
S: Cruisers are Cruisers everywhere—not just behind closed doors.
DS: I know for me that was a long journey. Even after coming out, I still felt like there was me and then there was my sexuality. Because, for so long, I kept those things separate, it just became like mental muscle memory.
I wanted a brand that reflected these two things coming together—not just who I am in bed, but who I am in life. And I feel like Sniffies is doing a very similar thing. it's not one kind of person who's into in Cruising. And not even just cruising, but just engaging in gay sex and meeting up. And so I feel like Sniffies is showing that there's this variety, not just the stereotypical representation of white gay muscle men.
S: What’s the one thing you wish more people knew about lube?
DS: I want to just reinforce that silicone is the best lube for sex. Like, yes, it can stain if you are pouring it everywhere. Don't do that. But it's condom compatible, and it works with glass sex toys, which are also the most sterile.
People hear silicone and they think oh, I don't want that inside my body. It's not natural. But that's actually what makes it so safe. It doesn't disrupt your pH, it doesn't get absorbed into your tissues, and it doesn't feed bacteria the way water based lubes can. So it just sits on the surface and creates this nice, healthy barrier, and then it's flushed from your body.
S: So don’t use spit?
DS: I think spit—I mean listen we’ve all been there. For guys, any lube is better than no lube. Spit can be hot, but it's not going to deliver for a long session.
