Very high-priced running clothes. Who is buying the stuff?

Since when is $100 shorts very high priced? You guys are funny, you can’t even afford nice clothes.

I have a bunch of shorts from Target/Academy and the cheap (like $15) Under Armour tech shirts; absolutely fine for day to day running. Nor do It have the cash for enough tracksmith or lululemon or vuori etc. gear to train in for 8-9 runs a week.

But I did splurge on a single Tracksmith shirt and pair of half tights to wear for racing. Even as hobby jogger it's nice to treat myself to a couple nice pieces.

Is tracksmith stuff really 4 to 5 times better than Target/Academy stuff? If it didn't have a label, would you even notice the difference? Seems like a status symbol to me.

I race in Academy stuff. Would I start running PRs if I had the name brand shorts?

No, the Tracksmith stuff is not 4-5x better..

.Is it better? Yes.

It's actually product-tested by the people it was designed to be worn by. The fabric is better quality. The stitching is better. Buy a pair of Tracksmith running shorts. Put them on. Then buy a pair of Target C9 shorts. Put them on. Tell me which one is lighter, feels better and if you're a guy, which one holds your balls better. The Target stuff is just mass produced on the same line as many, many other companies (Old Navy, Walmart, etc) and it literally is using the same polyester fabric they've been using the last 15 years. Zero goes into R&D.

Honestly, the Target stuff is fine for probably 98% of runners out there. The hobby joggers, the weekend warriors, etc. Am I out there filling my closet with Tracksmith clothes? Nope. Most everything in my wardrobe that I use for running came from massive sales or a place like TJ Maxx/Marshalls.

Jamin!

I tend to be grossed out by the people wearing overpriced clothing, but that is just me. (I find status symbols a bit much in general, whether cars or purses or vacations. Not my style at all.)

however, I’ve stopped laughing at people who buy „specialty running socks“!

it started when my neighbor cleaned out her sock drawer and left some name brand running socks in the free box of my apartment complex. (Not going to mention a brand name, but one of the brands sold at running warehouse or similar.) I took them home, and they became my favorites. Now I have five pairs of same, only one of which was free, the others costing 15 dollars a pop.

my immigrant ancestors have been rolling in their grave ever since.

> Is tracksmith stuff really 4 to 5 times better than Target/Academy stuff?

No, but it appreciably better.

> If it didn't have a label, would you even notice the difference?
Yes.

Furthermore, some things like half tights you're not finding at Target or Academy.

> Would I start running PRs if I had the name brand shorts?

No and I don't think anyone made such claims.

A car that is 5 times more expensive is not 5 times better.

rich people love running, drives the price way up. Best schools, best facilities, best tracks, best gear.

Look at those brojo guys who sometimes post here. Sons of a rich guy, went to Ivy League, don't have to work.

My mother-in-law buys me expensive running clothes for Christmas and birthdays. This year, I got SmartWool running pants and a jacket. They’re like $150-$200 items. Hands down the best running pants and jacket I have. They blow my $75-$100 UnderArmour and Nike stuff out if the water in terms of comfort and practicality.

I was impressed with Tracksmith when I first ordered from them. The shorts do actually feel a lot better.

I’m of the opinion that Nike gear has gone way down hill over the last 10 years. Feels mass produced (duh) and plastic.

Tracksmith feels very good despite the cheesy aesthetic. I honestly believe it’s worth the price even if it’s a stretch financially.

The Twilight Short from Tracksmith is the best running short I’ve ever worn, but I think it’s discontinued because they didn’t do a summer run of them and all they’ve had on the website for months are brown ones…

For a while, I bought a lot of Patagonia for running (not racing, but just daily running), but their quality has also fallen off a cliff with Nike. It’s a shame.

I'm a big fan of Rabbit - their shorts run $60-80 but they have decent sales each year and you can get some of their uglier colors for dirt cheap when they go on clearance. By far the most comfortable stuff I've run in.

For me I can keep short until they are threadbare, I'm not fast enough for split short shorty shorts any more, so the style is pretty much the same all the time. If you are a runner chances are your weight isn't fluctuating much, so you are going to stay the same size, also you are only wearing these while running, so that's what, an hour to two hours a week? (assuming you rotate a different pair of shorts every day.)

I have a few pair of just basic Adidas running shorts that I know Ive had for 12+ years. I probably paid all of $30 for them. That works out to pennies per run.

I'm cheap, and could normally never justify spending retail Rabbit prices on running shorts, but I got a pair of Rabbit shorts with a front waistband pocket on sale. The shorts have been a game changer for my summer training. The pocket can unobtrusively hold a narrow hydration flask, which is just enough hydration for my summer medium long runs, or for longer hot summer races with few to no aid stations. Absolutely love the shorts.

Rabbit is nice material but shorts liner doesn’t hold balls well at all. Usually freeballing is what I find happens

Rabbit needs to work on their liner. So does Janji. Tracksmith has liner down and it is a game changer.

How else would the single 24 year olds at my run club know I'm rich

lol. I wear the same running tights all the time sans underpants. There's a hole that's developed under the crotch and when Iwas sat in the car the other day I noticed my balls were starting to poke through the fabric.