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It is amazing to me that people used to run, lift, hike, play basketball, what have you, in the same pair of swishy gym shorts. One workout short to rule them all. My dad’s were mustard yellow and I remember them well.
The modern suite of workout shorts is much broader. There are various designs, inseam lengths and liners to choose from, and a correct short for any activity — I do believe that. Though this necessity is less consequential than shoe selection. Wear the wrong sneakers to a specific workout and you could injure yourself.
If you’re looking to overhaul your athletic shorts drawer, where do you even start? I’d recommend shopping a label that makes a whole lot of shorts, as it likely means they appreciate the nuances of different fits and use cases. I’m a fan of Vuori, the San Diego activewear brand, which founder Joe Kudla has built into a $5.5 billion company over the last decade.
Their clothes are meant to service the “coastal California lifestyle,” which is a clever way of saying an active lifestyle. Put another way, they make performance apparel for people who don’t mind going for a hike on a day they already went for a run. In recent years, as Vuori’s added a stable of ambassadors, the brand’s made inroads into activities like yoga, tennis, strength training and surfing.
This is all great for Kudla and the folks at Vuori — but it also means that their shop is bigger than ever, and potentially a bit confusing for consumers. Fortunately for you, I’ve been doing yeoman’s work over here at IH HQ, sampling five of Vuori’s best workout shorts. That’s them right up there, hanging from the laundry rack in my kitchen.
Notice, also, my preference for blue hues and subtle tones, even though Vuori shorts come in a variety of colors and patterns. Put together, these shorts basically constitute a brand-new workout wardrobe for me, and have made my exercising life more comfortable and functional in the process. Below, I discuss the benefits of every short, along with the workout I believe each is best suited for.
Running
I put down about 20 miles a week, almost all of them in the morning, and I tend to finish my runs near the grocery store or coffee shop, so I can pick up supplies. That means I have a credit card on me as I run — and at the very least, I carry my keys, so I can get back into my apartment. Suffice to say I like pockets, and the Qualify Run Short has a few convenient options, including a perfect stash pocket above the butt. (Minimal jangling.) Plus: in an era of 5″ and 7″ inseams, I love the compromise on 6″ — you can see where it hits my leg here; I’m third from the right, back row.
Finally, and most importantly, the lining in these shorts is crazy comfortable. Vuori calls it a “boxer brief liner,” which tracks. I hate when lined running shorts invoke the constricted feeling of contact sports: compression shorts, jockstrap, the whole nine yards. Running should feel fluid and functional, especially if you do it everyday. That starts with choosing the right shoe, but wearing the right shorts is a close second.
Strength Training
I’d consider this pair Vuori’s answer to those popular Ten Thousand shorts that you see everywhere. The inseam feels appropriate for a workout class or gym floor (at 6.5″) and the fabric is a mix of recycled polyester and elastane. Some people online have complained that the quality is off, citing pilling on the pant and fraying on the drawstrings, but I’ve yet to notice any cons after several washes. (For what it’s worth, I wash my workout clothes as delicates and then air-dry them.)
Whether or not the shorts can handle the laundry room, are they worth that top-market price? One of the Domain’s biggest pros is, again, Vuori’s boxer brief liner. I haven’t traditionally hit the gym with lined workout shorts, but lately I’ve been doing more HIIT and circuit classes. HYROX stuff. And when you’re jumping on boxes, doing side planks, pulling on the SkiErg and knocking out 25 burpees in a minute, it’s nice to have a pair of shorts that don’t chafe or ride up on the waist.
Yoga
While yoga isn’t my favorite exercise on this list — in fact, it’s my perennial “I gotta make more time for that” activity — the Elevate Kore Shorts are my definitive favorite from this sampling of Vuori workout shorts. This beefed-up iteration of the brand’s internet-darling Kore Shorts (more on them in a second) is worthy of the hefty price tag.
Compared to the Domain short, the weave on these is a little thicker, the inseam a little longer and the fit a little more relaxed, which is why I rate them for yoga, Pilates or whatever stretching routine you (hopefully) cobble together on a weekly basis. They just feel right when you’re rolling around on a mat. And no surprises here: these shorts once again feature a liner. It’s breathable, yet keeps the bits and bobs secure. Lastly, while I haven’t doled out style points yet, I’m a fan of the understated Vuori crest on this pair.
Sports
This is Vuori’s famous short, the one that launched a thousand Instagram ads. It’s as good as the plaudits say, and I’ve happily worked out in a previous pair of Kore Shorts for years. Ironically, if you wanted to go back to that time where adult men only owned one pair of shorts, this one could do a pretty great job. Vuori offers it in three inseam (5″, 7″ and 9″), six sizes (XS-XXL) and 16 different colors.
But Vuori makes better shorts for specific activities, as I’ve already established, and besides, I don’t love running in these. The back pocket features Velcro instead of a zipper, while the side pockets are traditional plunge pockets. I recommend using the pair in an all-day activity sense. They’re a good option for games: hoops, soccer, racquet sports (those side pockets come in handy for tennis or pickleball). I’d also recommend the Kore Short for casual Zone 2 activities, like cycling around town.
Hiking
This is an interesting short from Vuori; it’s sort of like a dressed-up board short. It can pass for linen shorts at a distance (the style above is literally called Sky Grey Linen Texture), but is actually made of a polyester blend, and dries quickly in a pinch.
Depending on where you live — I’m based in New York — these might be a little out-of-season right now, as we march towards winter. The Banks Short is ideally leveraged for an entire day outside. I don’t want to fall prey to the swimming hole cliches (how many people are actually hunting swimming holes?), but it’s true, these would be great for a hike with a side of swimming holes. Or a coastal walk. Or less sexy: a walk to and from Trader Joe’s. The lack of liner works well here; the short feels more wellness than fitness, if that makes sense. It comes in two inseam options and a plethora of colors.
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