By Su Reid-St. John
A few weeks ago, my friend Amanda gave me a challenge: Find a pair of women’s workout shorts that don’t ride up. I was happy to oblige, as I’ve experienced my share of creeping, inching, annoying legs that need to be tugged back down every few strides. If your thighs have any sort of roundness to them, from muscle or whatever, you probably know what I’m talking about.
So I asked all of the big workout apparel players to send me their best new won’t-ride-up shorts, and most obliged. Surprisingly, many of the companies sent traditional-style running shorts. That puzzled me, as I’ve never met a running short that didn’t ride up at least a bit. OK, maybe if I were the proud owner of a pair of tiny-girl, straight-as-sticks legs, it wouldn’t be an issue. But I’m not, so…
I ended up trying a dozen pairs altogether (great workout motivation, I’ll tell you that). I walked in them, skated in them, did jumping jacks in them, and lunged in them, looking for the slightest hint of creep. Two pairs made the cut, and I’m proud to introduce them to you.
The Athleta Fusion Short is the cuter, more flattering of the two. It has the perfect mixture of stretch and hold, and the legs are semifitted—proving that shorts don’t need to be plastered to your skin to stay put. The material moves with you, breathes well, and is antimicrobial to boot. The cut is flattering, with a wide waistband and cute back pockets to add a little flair.
The comfy Lucy Swift Knee Short comes down right above the knee (hence the name)—and stays there. There’s a kicky little vent at the back of each knee and a small zippered pocket on the back waistband to hold a key or a few bucks—both nifty little extras. Like the Athleta shorts, these have just enough Lycra to give them light shape, plus they breathe and wick well. The only drawback is that the elastic-waist style isn’t very forgiving for women with even a hint of a belly, so if that’s you, wear these with a slightly longer top. (But you know that trick already.)
Mission accomplished, Amanda!
Products: Athleta Fusion Short and Lucy Swift Knee Short
Category: Apparel
Cost: Fusion Short, $49 at Athleta.com; Swift Knee Short, $58 at Lucy.com