After shoes, running shorts are the most important and personal piece of a runner’s kit. The right shorts will disappear on the run and comfortably carry everything you need; the wrong ones will chafe, cling, bounce, sag, ride up, and generally make your run miserable, especially in heat and humidity. We searched for, and found, shorts that can handle the challenges of summer while making you look good, feel cool, and run free.
At a Glance
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Best for Going Long
Oiselle Toolbelt Roga Shorts
Sizes: 2–24/26
Pros and Cons
⊕ Plenty of pockets for storage
⊕ Universally-flattering length
⊕ Comfortable, stretchy fabric
⊗ Built-in liner is tight for some testers’ thighs
All our testers instantly fell for the cute styling of these shorts. Their love was cemented by the whopping five well-placed pockets—four mesh ones built into the 4-inch, compressive waistband (that stays put,…