When the weather heats up, you need your shorts to keep cool. You need something lightweight, comfortable, and highly effective at moisture management. You need something like Patagonia’s Strider shorts.
Patagonia Strider Shorts Features:
- Body fabric: 50-denier 50% polyester, 50% recycled polyester
- Lining: moisture-wicking polyester crepe
- Durable water repellant (DWR) finish
- Elastic waistband with internal drawstring
- Internal key pocket
- Weight: 4.1 oz (116g)
- Available in three inseams: 7”, 5”, 3”
- Five color options
- MSRP $45.00
Patagonia Strider Shorts Review
Patagonia doesn’t have an expansive inventory of trail running gear, but the few items they do produce are typically of the highest quality. This spring the company introduced the Strider short as a lightweight alternative to its outstanding Nine Trails short, which was my garment of choice for several ultras last year.
The Strider short doesn’t disappoint, and is a great option for warm weather days when the length or weight of the Nine Trails seem excessive. I tested the 7” inseam version, but if you want to go even lighter there are 5” and 3” versions available. (Trust me – you don’t want to see photos of me in a 3-inch short.) The Nine Trails is only offered in a 8” inseam.
Fabric construction primarily consists of a thin, breezy polyester mesh that sits very comfortably against the skin, with a vertical mesh inset that provides even more ventilation. The cut is sufficient to allow complete range of motion, and the fabric has a slight stretch component just in case you need a few extra degrees of movement.
The liner and exterior fabric are both highly effective at moisture transfer, and they dry very quickly if you happen to get caught in a brief downpour (it is spring, after all). There is a DWR coating on these shorts, but they don’t resist moisture for very long in the aforementioned spring shower.
A covered elastic waistband sits very comfortable around the hips, but one quirk I found was with the internal drawcord, which is continuous around the waist. I always find these difficult to manage, so I end up cutting them in front – but then you’re left with ends of the cord that are very short and prone to slipping back into the waistband.
Aside from that, the Striders have remained problem-free during my longest trail runs: there’s no chafing, no excess moisture, and no restrictions to movement during outings in excess of 20 miles. When the weather gets toasty and I’ve got a long trail day ahead, these are the shorts I’ll reach for.
Good Strider
- Lightweight construction
- Highly effective moisture management
- Outstanding comfort
Bad Strider
- Because they’re so thin and lightweight, they’ll be chilly on colder days
- I’d like a conventional (and longer) drawstring
Bottom Line: Patagonia Strider Shorts
Patagonia’s Strider shorts keep you light and comfortable for the warm days of summer, and they’re built to last as long as your legs will carry you.
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