2XU X Run Short Review
As you might have noticed in the races you run whether it is road or trail, compression is becoming more and more popular in socks, shorts, tights, and more. While running races, what I noticed most was that it typically wasn’t the back of the pack runners starting to wear compression related garments, it was the front of the pack runners. That lead me to try out the 2XU X Run Short to see if what I was seeing and hearing had any validity.
The 2XU X Run Short is a nylon short on the outside combined with a 70D compression tight on the inside. The outside short is similar to most running shorts you are going to wear. What sets this running short apart from other running shorts is what is on the inside, compression. What I noticed while running in the 2XU X Run Short was that my leg muscles that were covered by the compression stayed in place while running both short and long distances. While it was hard to notice any extreme difference compared to a regular pair of running shorts, I could notice a small difference in my longer runs. As you run longer distances, your body and it’s muscles start to fatigue from movement and wear. By reducing or nearly eliminating the movement in your thigh muscles, you reduce the amount of fatigue you experience which in turn allows you to run closer to your peak performance. This is obviously dependent on how well your legs are trained. Don’t expect to put these shorts on and be able to run a PR in a marathon if you’ve only been training for a 5k.
One of the downsides that I found with the 2XU Run Shorts is that the nylon outer short would often cling to the inner compression short. This makes the outer nylon shorts rise up over the compression shorts leaving a semi- goofy look in my opinion.
A plus side worth noting about wearing the compression tights is that they help decrease any chaffage. As someone who experiences chaffage on my inner thighs from time to time on long runs, it was nice to know that these tight essentially eliminated chaffage for me.
As you often see with most compression related products, the price tag for the 2XU X Run Short is a little on the high end for many at $80. Considering most running shorts retail for between $30-$50, it might have some runners running the other direction. For the runner that is looking to step up their game a little, compression shorts might be the answer. And if you want to step it up in a more manageable way, you can always go for compression socks or calve sleeves which are offered by 2XU and other manufactures.
