Their grandfather and great-grandfather had both been diagnosed with the same disease.

"My great-grandfather didn't make it but my grandfather and my dad picked it up early," Ben Ashcroft said.

The brothers decided they needed to raise awareness of early detection.

"When my dad got struck we thought 'we know, but there's so many people out there who don't know, so how can we create awareness?'" Mr Ashcroft said.

Brotoes was born.

"We both like wearing stupid socks we've always had so many comments like 'what's with the socks?' so at least now we can say 'prostate cancer' and start the conversation," Mr Ashcroft said.

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"Men, we think we're bullet proof so we don't do anything, especially about prostate or bums. We don't want to talk about it, don't want to bring it up. But if you check it early you can get it sorted and have a better plan than the doctor telling you you have six months."

It's been two years since the company began. The socks are now in 32 IGA stores and 100,000 pairs have been sold.

Last week, Adam gave up his job as IGA store manager to pursue the business full-time.

But Ben Ashcroft said it wasn't about the number of pairs sold.

"The thing for me is about six months ago a guy came in. He was a farmer. His wife had bought him a pair and said 'you're at that age, go and get checked'," Mr Ashcroft said.

"He came in to say he had been checked and he's got it and if they had let it go another six or seven months it wouldn't have been reversible. Now he's going to live."

Both of the Ashcrofts have heard stories of survival, as well as the not-so-good stories of people who have been diagnosed.

For each pair sold through Ashcroft's IGA, 10 per cent of the sale sale is donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Everywhere else, it's 10 per cent of the profit that's donated.

Last year, Brotoes raised $5000. So far this year it's $8000.

With his brother pursuing the cause full time, Mr Ashcroft is hoping to double the donation next year.

The socks are all brightly colours with designs from corn to Frida Carlo. The brothers use everything from their own interests in fishing and cars to requests from the public to design the funky footwear.

"What the people want we try and source and get happening," Mr Ashcroft said.

Next, the bothers are considering a line of 'bro undies'. They're also hoping to expand into other supermarkets and places like post offices.

For now, Mr Ashcroft is encouraging all men to get checked.

"They're not physicals until you're 40-years-old, so at least get blood and test your PSAs (prostate-specific antigen). You only have to do it every year," he said.

More information is available on the Brotoes website.