Before a half-mary last weekend I decided to look for some running shorts that were a little more presentable than the Wal-mart stuff I usually train in. I was a little surprised that just about everything in the running stores I visited was at least $40-$50 or more. The first time I splurged on biking shorts I realized they were worth every penny, but I am relatively new to running more than a few miles at a time. Am I missing something?
you can get many, many varieties of running shorts on clearance on multiple websites for much less than $40 - $50 that are very much worth purchasing.
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I would not pay $40+ for running shorts.
http://www.runningwarehouse.com
There are lots of good online retailers, but I use Running Warehouse because they have a big inventory with lots of choices. Their prices are good, they have free 2-day shipping, and every shipment comes with a pre-paid UPS return label in case you need a different size than what you ordered. The few times I’ve needed customer service, they were excellent to deal with. There are some 15% off coupons floating around online for them as well that’s good for everything except Mizuno and Asics stuff.
i found a pair of Nike shorts that i love and unfortunately they are $50. but they have a boxer-brief type of liner in them. way more comfortable for me and the boys than a normal liner. of course, they have all the pockets/etc for the Nike+ iPod stuff.
$40-$50 seems to be the trend these days.
Here - there are many, many choices. There’s no reason to pay that for running shorts. Pretty much any of these will do just fine for you.
http://www.runningwarehouse.com/catpage-MRSHORT.html
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Actual price points aside, I wouldn’t run in anything but a purpose-built pair of running shorts (for training; not race day when I run in padded tri shorts) from a “running” manufacturer (i.e. no Fila, Kappa, yoga, basketball, etc brands).
The cut is meant for running motion and the materials and finishes are chosen accordingly. The pairs I own are all silky smooth against the skin and don’t become abrasive when sweat-soaked. The material doesn’t bunch up between my legs and abrade away the skin of my inner thighs. The liners are smooth, well designed and don’t get hung up or crammed into spots.
IMHO, it comes down to the design difference. Running manufacturers have a product designer sitting down and thinking through actual product usage - about the best materials to use and best places to put seams, stitches, pockets, folds, zippers, etc… A regular pair of shorts is just slapped together by a fashion designer; thinking about length, colours, patterns and embellishments.
This is also a big part of the reason why this kind of garment is more expensive. Specialized people, spending more time on R&D, using more expensive materials and sewing processes, requiring a vendor who can provide a more skilled labor force.
If you’re just doing low easy mileage, anything will do. Once the miles start creeping up, you’ll appreciate the difference…
$0.02
Yes I run in $50 shorts… but I paid $20 for em on clearance!
PS, for training most of the time I wear some old pairs of adidias shorts. I put in 8+ mile runs and hill climbs sweating my balls off and stuff with them with no problems. That said some people do chafe… I’m just someone that doesn’t I guess…
Yes I run in $50 shorts… but I paid $20 for em on clearance!
Ditto. And I’ve found them even cheaper at the discount and outlet stores. My most recent running short purchase was $10 for Brooks shorts found at a T.J. Maxx.
My limit is about $15. Lots of those expensive shorts can be found almost everyday at my local TJ Maxx for that price or even less.
i found a pair of Nike shorts that i love and unfortunately they are $50. but they have a boxer-brief type of liner in them. way more comfortable for me and the boys than a normal liner. of course, they have all the pockets/etc for the Nike+ iPod stuff.
$40-$50 seems to be the trend these days.
check out emilio`s shorts in case your not into the short run shorts, bought 2 pairs and never had chaffing issues.
you know the name of those shorts by chance?
seems interesting…always lookin to help out the boys a bit more.
I’ve run a couple thousand miles while wearing Nike compression shorts (have a few pairs- always clean) and I have 2 pair of adidas soccer shorts. I think i paid 16$ full price. They’re climalite- have a relatively short inseam- I take alot of shit from my buddies if i wear them while doing anything other than running or playing soccer. No pockets, no liner, one thin layer of short- and they wear like champs. The compression shorts are longer than the soccer shorts, so chafing is a non-issue. I havent run in “running” shorts since high school- and never liked the liner in them anyways. Do whats comfy and chafe-less.
You are missing Kohls, ross, tjmaxx and a few others. I wait till I go into a running store and look at the clearence section or when my wife drags me to the before mentioned stores. Okay I drag her there just to look for shorts and tech shirts. I do pay retail for New balance socks that are ribbed in the arch and help support. They are thin light and work on the bike too and they last 10x longer. So the 10 bucks a pait is well worth it.
My current inventory is made of about 4 pairs of C9/Champion running shorts, which I picked up at Target for $10-15, a couple pairs of Adidas shorts from the outlet store ($15-20) and 3 pairs of Roadrunner Sports shorts ($15-25) and pair of Asics shorts (roughly $35)
My faves are the Adidas and the Asics. The C9 brand are ok, but over time the liners tend to shrink which can be problematic and the seams can be a bit rough. For short runs, they are fine…but long runs, no good.
One brand I would steer away from is Nike. I have purchased a couple pair of those over the years (for 40-50 bucks, I might add) and in each case the liners came apart at the waistband. Shoddy construction.
IMHO, there is no need to spend $40-50, there are plenty of good quality shorts to be had for under $30.
I essentially do the same, but I use the champion stretchy boxer compression underwear. I then find the cheapest running style short and cut out the liner. Keeps from chafing quite well. I went to this because of chafing from a liner. If I had $50 shorts, perhaps they would not have bothered me, but this works fine.
I find that the soccer style short has legs that are too long for my comfort, but to each his or her own.
Gordon
Try these. On sale for twenty bucks! http://www.desotosport.com/products/product.asp?Category=specials&ProdID=WMBS8
never pay retail…
usually I get a couple pairs of whatever’s on sale at wherever I buy running shoes, but never paid over $20.
for example,
http://www.holabirdsports.com/cgi-bin/search?showall=1&selection=menu&type=82&gender=2&totalcount=43&productname=&myref=none&subtype=31
I have an Under Armour outlet store nearby and get shorts for like $20.
Road Runner Sports has been my hook up for 18 years…if you are into logos and name brands it’s not the place, but they make quality stuff and it looks great…for mere pennies on the dollar of say Fleet Feet list + 30%…