Hope everyone had a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend! I was in the city of angels for a bachelorette party and unfortunately, minimal running. Any-who…
If there is one staple in a female runner’s life, it’s the Nike Tempo Track Shorts…built-in underwear and all. Do I own a pair? But of course. Do I own more than is probably healthy? Guilty as charged (I think I’m in the “teens” now). Do I think there is room for improvement? Regretfully, yes.
Bringing It Home in Nike Tempo Track Shorts
Ranging anywhere from $28 to the teens, the Nike Tempo short is an affordable running must-have. Not only does it come in more color combinations than one can fathom, but if you’re any kind of bargain shopper, you can easily score these shorts on super sale at Macy’s, TJ Maxx, or other retailers of the sort. If you are blessed with super sale sleuth blood, you may even find a pair on sale at the Nike store itself. And yes, they are also available at the Nike Outlet, but the variety and quality differ.
THE PERFECT SHORT, LESS THE FASHION: The Nike Tempo Track short touts itself as “high-performance…featuring curving lines, a low-rise fit and sweat-wicking fabric.” I completely agree that these shorts were designed with the female runner in mind. Not too short. Not too high. Not too tight. Juuuuuuust right. The fiance thinks that they are one of the most atrocious looking pieces of workout clothes I wear, but I have to remind him that in no way are these shorts meant to be a fashion statement. But he’s right in a sense; by no means are you going to get stopped on the street with random compliments of faaaabulous you look, dahhhling.
FABRIC: The Dri-FIT fabric does its duty by wicking away sweat and does a great job of keeping you dry. However, I have felt some ultra-smooth and (seemingly) more light-weight fabric floating around on some other brand’s running shorts (i.e. Brooks and Lululemon) and I think that Nike could have a home run if they swapped out the fabric for something more soft to the touch. Plus, anything lighter is a runner’s best friend.
Someone Needs a Haircut
BUILT-IN UNDIES: Afraid of the built-in undies? Don’t be. They actually work fantastically and don’t ride up your booty at all. Wedgie be gone!
SEAMS, WAISTBANDS & THE DRAWSTRING:: While I usually don’t have a problem with the side seams, some of my tempo short have a tendency to really agitate the skin in certain spots. I don’t think that this happens with all of my tempo shorts, but I’m just giving fair warning that this is a possibility as these shorts are not seamless. Furthermore, some shorts have better elastic waistbands. As you can see, the pink one is covered by a softer material that really helps prevent agitation on long runs (note: pink pair purchased at Macy’s).
The elastic waistband also features a drawstring, but my question to Nike is why have a drawstring if you have an elastic waistband? Plus, that drawstring can get pretty uncomfortable if tied in a bow and stuck under a tight hydration belt. Can we say permanent impressions?! HELLO! I’d like to see temp shorts without the drawstring altogether.
Tricky Tricky Waistband Differences
SECRET POCKET: The short also features the secret pocket big enough to slip a key, chapstick, or a credit card into. And trust me, carrying extra money on long runs has helped me multiple times when I ran out of water or needed some sudden fuel. Make it a part of your regular running gear and you won’t regret it.
Great review, just what I was looking for. How’s the sizing? I’m a 10 and not sure whether to order a M or L…
Thanks for the nice comment! I like them to be a little bit looser so your legs have room to move while running, so I would go for the bigger size. Also, you can always find them on sale at Macy’s, so I would def. check that out if you can.