Half Split Short Shorts

The New Zealand splits from the late 70's/early 80's rocked. Screw what people think...our society is so screwed up & uptight that if you're even showing your knees when you wear shorts you're an exhibitionist. I'd run naked if I could....not that anyone would like that.

REAL men wear splits!

Shit, you go to a high school track meet these days and you have to look carefully to make sure you didn't show up at a pick-up basketball game by mistake. Most high school milers could be 10-15 seconds faster if they didn't have hike up their hoops shorts six times a lap.

Are you on the track team or the basketball team?

Split shorts are running shorts. Whats the problem? Your team mates sound like a bunch of idiots.

This is a small part of why our sport is not considered mainstream. We stand for nothing. Split shorts are running shorts. If you consider yourself a runner and you don't wear them you are setting our sport back. When I go to a swim meet every swimmer wear the same thing, because they are swimmers. When I go to a wrestling meet every kid wears the same thing, because they are wrestlers. Runners need to start acting like runners. If we can't convince our own of this why in the hell would we expect others to understand. Soccer has stolen many a good distance runner and for thanks we wear their uniform. UMBRO sucks

I saw this at an indoor high school meet this winter: the kid had on basketball style shorts, and if that was not enough had on biker type shorts on those. Who coaches some of these kids. If you came to football or basketball practive without the correct equipment the coach would probably send you home, but since this is just running, just come with whatever you pick up off the floor of your room.

PR,

My thoughts exactly ... last week I was out at the track and this HS kid kept having to pull up his "shorts" in between hurdles. The same goes for the distance kids too ... might as well wear sweats. I run so much faster without my shorts around my ankles.

What really pisses me off lately is that the companies who make running shorts(Nike, Adidas) are starting to make more longer box-cut running shorts than the real high cut split shorts. I went to my local sporting goods store a week ago to pick a few pairs of running shorts, I found one pair of shite nylon shorts that had the split cut.

Anyone remember the Nike PRs? Seems like Al Sal and Lopes wore them way back in the mid 80's ... PRs were the best.

sub 4's - those things barely hold you in, if at all

Another example of the Gallowalker/Penguin/Runner's World influence.

"I'm not comfortable with my pasty flab hanging out. I might also chafe when my lard laden thighs rub on each other. Please make longer shorts or better yet, those spandex ones to wear underneath."

Back in the 70s and early 80s soccer players used to wear "short" shorts as did basketball players. Then baggy look street fashion took over and form over function became the name of the game.

You don't see swimmers wear surf shorts in races or training, why the hell should runners wear them?

Coaches need to enforce uniform standards. If I coached a high school team nobody would be allowed to run in baggy shorts.

Portland Runner wrote:

Another example of the Gallowalker/Penguin/Runner's World influence.

"I'm not comfortable with my pasty flab hanging out. I might also chafe when my lard laden thighs rub on each other. Please make longer shorts or better yet, those spandex ones to wear underneath."

PR is on a roll today. That's a great point. Want another ill effect of the gallowalk/penguin crowd? Go to your local running store and see how the selection of racing shoes has greatly diminished.

Mizuno and Sugoi (and Adidas) are still making some nice split shorts. Hard to find, but worth it. Nike's Elite line was way kewl...a lot of the running gear back in 81-85 was way kewl. Now we're run by what they can push to the masses at the local Sports Authority or Footlocker.

Actually, I'm the only person my team that wear real lined running shorts. And I'm only person that runs distance, everyone else are sprinters hurdlers or throwers. And yes they are a bunch of idiots.

Hey, just pick up a Road Runner Sports catalog and compare it to what they sold a half-dozen years ago. Everything is designed for "the conservative middle aged jogger".

First, they're called "shorts" because they're supposed to be, uh, SHORT. If they were supposed to be baggy, kinda long things, we'd call them "baggy kinda longs" or BKLs, but they're not, so we don't!

Second, what's with the colors? Everything is black, navy, hunter green or brick red. What's going on here? Are these people trying to hide in the woods at night? I run down country roads. I want nut cases in their SUVs to SEE me so they don't hit me. Give me bright red, yellow, screaming lime green, ANYTHING but dull and dark. This is particularly important during the winter when it gets dark sooner and the roads become more narrow. I went looking for a GoreTex jacket a couple of years ago and all RRS had was black, black, and black, and maybe a little maroon trim. I wound up getting a very nice jacket (mostly bright yellow with refelctive trim) from Bike Nashbar. When I unwrapped it I had to laugh because the tag inside read "Made for Bike Nashbar by Frank Shorter Sports". It seems I buy more and more stuff from Nashbar and Performance Bike these days, and less and less from RRS. (I've also gotten some great deals at Campmor and Sierra Trading Post- RRS is far from being the price leader these days).

I've written them letters hoping that they'll change, but to no avail. They always respond with "Great idea!" or some such, and then completely ignore it.

Well, I guess it's all just a matter of the Penguinization of the sport. But as I see it, just because you run like one doesn't mean if you have to dress like one.

Check out some of the smaller clothing companies.

My current favorite are DeSoto Sport split shorts. It's a San Diego area company which markets mostly to the triathlon crowd. Their stuff is remarkably functional, and quite well-made, way better than the lousy quality I've gotten lately from some of the big name clothing manufacturers. They can be a little pricy, but the website (www.desotosport.com) usually has closeouts at reasonable prices.

RaceReady.com (Los Angeles area company) sells good clothing at reasonable prices. It's designed by the husband/wife owners who are both runners. They have split shorts and splits with a row of mesh pockets across the back (great for ultras). Also, their trail shirt is the most comfortable running shirt I have (CoolMax and sleeveless, but with shoulder coverage)

I've also had some good split shorts from RoadRunnerSports, but that was several years ago and do not know what their line is like now.

Couldn't agree more. Being a runner from the early '80's, it's amazing to me that it's so hard to find "running shorts". Yes I do remember the Nike PR shorts. I remember an old issue of Runners World(when elite runners were on the cover instead of models)showing Barry Brown wearing a pair. It's a shame that runners today feel the need to hide their white chubby thighs. I guess the gallowalkers need pockets to keep their lunches during their runs.

Womens running gear still shows some skin.

Anyone notice how many more outfits are offered for women in the running catalogs. Take a look at Road Runner Sports or National Running Center catalogs. 2x as many pages for women.

Brooks makes a good split...only three inches down before the split starts. Nice color green too. Emerald instead of the ever=present Forest. Saw them at Eastbay, among other places.

I coach a very small HS track team -- only a handful of kids, really, almost all guys. Since it's such a small school, I let them get longer shorts (although they *are* running shorts) for uniforms. They have liners.

You should hear them whine and moan about the liners and the length (they are nearly to their knees)! They complain that they can't wear their boxers underneath (!) and they yank the shorts way down on their hips (and yes, I can tell you exactly what kind of underwear each of them favors). It's pretty hilarious, actually. They visibly shudder when I mention split shorts ;-)

I think it's pretty silly. I'm all for wearing whatever feels comfortable and of course, I can totally understand feeling "over-exposed", but I don't think it's necessary for the guys to wear *pants* to run in.

It's starting to affect what I wear to practice, too. I'm female distance runner (& of course, I'm older than they are) & I usually wear split shorts, too -- but lately, I've been wearing pairs of longer Brooks shorts to practice just so I don't embarrass the guys.