Merrell Badlands Short Review

by Kevin_Fonger · Published March 31, 2010 , 1:38 pm · Updated November 2, 2022 , 7:54 am

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Warm weather is right around the corner and it’s that time of year where we can actually enjoy wearing shorts while running and hiking. We’ve been testing the Merrell Badlands short which is a running short that is a little bit heavier than your typical running short. The Badlands short comes with a webbing belt to store energy gels, but can be a little bit too much for some runners. The liner of the short has Merrells’ proprietary Opti-Wick moisture technology, which helps prevent you from overheating and save your inner thighs from any potential chaffing. We tested out the size medium and felt the shorts to run a bit small, as our tester was a waist size 32 and easily fits into almost all medium size shorts. With that said, we recommend that you try these on in the store before you buy.

We found this short to be a little too cumbersome for running, due to the extra weight and longer inseam (7inches). The Badlands are better suited for rugged hiking or backpacking, for instance in the Badlands of South Dakota. These shorts have a UPF rating of 45, which means your legs will be well protected from the suns’ harsh rays. For more information on the Badlands Short and other Merrell products, please visit www.merrell.com.

Feature of the Merrell Badlands Short