Brian Welch

I grew up as a basketball player, and have transitioned to running and triathlon over the last three years. I've always worn shorts that were at least knee length, but decided to give it a go and look like a real runner. These are fantastic shorts, lightweight, soft, no chafing (even though my longest run in them has only been an hour). The only reason that I'm docking it a point is that the material rides up in the front as I'm running. Maybe this happens with all short shorts, but it made an already mortifying length even worse when the shorts became package-level. If that's normal, then add a point and make it five stars.

First, the semi-cons. It is tight around the chest, so make sure you're buying the right size. The information in the sizing chart is correct, so if you measure yourself you'll get the right size. Material is nice and thin, which combined with the zipper keeps you as cool as you can get. The body and the sleeves are a nice slim fit too, which is nice for us thin folks. Style-wise it's alright, but the functionality is good. Works great under a hydration pack, too. No chafing or rubbing. Function is great, just knocking it one star for the style (I have the white). I have the blank sleeveless also, which looks badass.

Through some bad luck, I had to replace my sunglasses the week before my first half ironman triathlon. I'd heard great things about these, but couldn't find them locally before I had to leave for the race. I had this site send them to where I was staying and they arrived the afternoon before the race. The glasses fit great (I have a large melon), and don't shift or slip. Optics are great (they are Oakleys after all), with no distortion. They were fantastic for cycling, and I was in a lot of pain during the run so I didn't notice them then, which I think is a good thing. And they say nothing new on race day...

I've been using this for longer trail runs (anything over 2 hours when I can't use two water bottles), and it works well. No bouncing or chafing, and I haven't run out of water yet. It does feel a little overbuilt, as one review said, with a lot of dangling straps that I have to tuck away to make sure they don't bounce around. The pockets on the waist strap are handy for holding gels and salt tablets, though. Overall, I'm happy with it, although for strictly trail running (my only use so far) it's probably more than you need.

Other than my Balega X-Trainers, these are my favorite socks. I did a half ironman triathlon in them, and it was 100 degrees during the race so I was pouring water over my head all day. The socks held up, though, and my feet felt great at the end of the day (well, relatively). I'm a 14 a the XLs are perfect. Planning on buying more pairs.