Gear Up & Go: 7 Trail-Tested Running Shorts with Liners

Looking for running shorts with liners to help you go the distance that feel cool and comfy?

You know, without...

• Chafing those sensitive areas
• Too much pinchy-pinch between your legs
• Feeling too loose to run your best, or...
• Overheating because they're not breathable enough

🏃‍♂️When WeeViews runner Michael Young started training for a 13.1-mile trail half marathon, he made it his quest to find running shorts with liners that would help him go the distance.

🩳He tested out 7 pair of running shorts with liners. 

Here's what he found...

I’ve always had issues with how running shorts with liners fit me so differently from brand to brand.

🏃‍♂️And I've been running for about 25 years, including...

• High school track
• 5Ks in my 20s and 30s, and...
• Longer distances on trail and in races in my 40s

This season, I decided I wanted to go in search of the perfect pair of running shorts with liners, kind of like Goldilocks.

🩳Is there a pair of running shorts with liners that could help me get my miles in comfortably in the warmer months?

With so many different liners in different brands of shorts I decided to try a bunch and see which liner reigned supreme for my running
needs...

When I decided to go in search of the perfect running shorts with liners, I was running about 25 miles a week and training for my first half marathon trail race. (Check out my review of the Soaring Eagle Half Marathon).

• I ran three to four days a week
• And at a minimum I ran at least two, 6-plus-mile runs in each pair of shorts.

I figured it would be a good base. And if they didn’t work out, I wasn’t doing any of my double-digit-mile days with them.

👉The big key: Find out how these running shorts with liners performed in real life.

🩳I went with SEVEN different pairs of FIVE-inch inseam running shorts with liners and ranked them on these criteria:

• How the material felt on my skin
• Did the seams cause chafing or rubbing
• The dreaded wedgie issue
• Did they stay put? / How often I had to adjust

Here are the SEVEN running shorts with liners I tested:

• Rabbit FKT (Liner fabric: 87% polyester/13% spandex)
• Smartwool Merino Sports Lined Shorts (Liner fabric: 54% merino wool/46% polyester
• Roark Alta 5 inch Shorts: (Liner fabric: 85% nylon/15% spandex)
• Tracksmith Session Shorts: (Liner fabric: 89% polyester/ 11% spandex)
• Salomon Cross 5: (Liner fabric: 100% polyester)
• Janji AFO Middle Shorts: (Liner fabric: 87% polyester/13% elastane)
• Icebreaker Impulse Running Shorts: (Liner fabric: 51% merino wool, 35% lyocell, 14% nylon)

So Rabbit (@runinrabbit) makes my all time favorite running shirt the EZ Tee, so I was excited to try out their shorts as well. 

• Compared to the rest of the shorts on this list, Rabbit was the only pair that didn’t have the seams on the outside of the liner
• Surprisingly, there weren’t issues with chaffing on my runs
• Superlight weight and no wedgies
• I just wished for a little more coverage on the backside
• 4 out of 5. (Note: A newer FKT 2 has been released since this review)

So besides running, I am an avid backpacker and hiker.

I have been using @Smartwool socks, tops, and underwear for years, but never their running shorts.

• Being merino wool, they are super soft and don’t develop a funk which is great
• The liner itself runs a bit small/tight, and didn’t have the coverage I wanted in a running short
• It wasn’t a full wedgie, but I was adjusting constantly
• 3 out of 5: Not what I want when running long miles

@Roark is a brand that was new to me.

But it's been popping up on review and running sites for me recently, so I decided to try them out. 

• A great lightweight short with the seams on the outside
• It will be in my summer rotation for sure
• On rare occasions I would get a little pinching
• 4 out of 5: A small adjustment and I was fine for miles again

Tracksmith (@Tracksmithrunning) is a brand that's also new to me, but I have wanted to try their products for awhile now. 

So this seemed like a great time to check them out. And I am glad I did. 

• Even though the liner is just polyester and spandex, it was as soft as the two merino wool shorts on this list 
• Great coverage all around
• No wedgies and no adjustments on my runs.  
• Only thing close to a negative is that they are on the heavier/thicker side compared to the others, but not enough to bother me unless it was really hot out
• 5 out of 5. These shorts feel and work great!

So my feet are on the narrower side and I have been rocking @Salomon’s shoes for years now. 

Be it hiking, backpacking, and trail running. They just fit me right. 

• This pair of shorts have been one of my daily go-to options for a few years now
• They are thin, good seams and fit me quite well
• At most I wish I had just a smidge more coverage in the back for a perfect fit
• 4 out of 5. Overall.

Janji (@runjanji) is a popular brand that many of my friends swear by. 

• So these shorts are super thin and lightweight for summer running. 
• They did breathe really well.
• But they just didn’t fit me right. The wedgie was in full effect with not enough coverage in the back. 
• More importantly these shorts just didn’t sit right in the middle, causing chafing and constant adjustments on my runs.
• 2 out of 5. I was able to kind of push them back a little to stop the chafing, but it was just too much maintenance for a pair of running shorts. 

Icebreaker (@icebreakernz)...This is another outdoor brand that I have used for years outside the running world. 

I’m a huge proponent of merino wool year round for outdoor activities. 

• The liner is super soft as expected.
• It kept me feeling really cool without the funk that synthetics get
• They had just a slight pull in the back that I had to adjust on occasion to halt a wedgie from ever happening
• 4 out of 5. Overall, a great pair of summer running shorts

🩳Ranked #1: Tracksmith Session Shorts

• So overall the Tracksmith Session Short liner was by far the winner.
• If I had just one pair to always wear, these would be them.
• Super soft, good seams, and coverage that stayed put when I ran. 
• Just a great overall short.

🩳Ranked #7: Janji AFO Middle Shorts

• On the flip side was the Janji AFO Middle Shorts.
• As I said, I have friends that only run in these shorts.
• For me the fit just wasn’t working. Really too much work with all the constant adjustments.

If you are looking for running shorts with liners, here's THREE tips to help you choose a pair that works for you:

1. Which direction the seams face

• Make sure they are out, so no chafing can develop.

2. Material makeup

• Merino wool is soft, but may not last as long as some of the synthetics. 
• Also the percentages of each material can make a big difference. 
• Higher spandex can be a snugger fit, but maybe something that tight isn’t what you prefer.

3. How they are cut 

• Nobody wants a wedgie when they are on a run.
• Look at coverage to make sure you get enough material for what you want. 
• Brands vary surprisingly a lot.

Tell us about it in the comments. Or create a WeeView of your favorite pair.