GORUCK Simple Shorts Review

The GORUCK Simple Shorts are part of GORUCK’s first foray into the apparel business. The shorts were purchased back in August of 2016 and have been in use since.

GORUCK Simple Shorts Review

Before we get into the thick of it these shorts have been in the rotation for months for daily use, used for training, and taken to one GORUCK Light event.

Quality

The quality on the GORUCK Simple Shorts is excellent. The sewing is perfect and I wish whomever sewed GORUCK’s apparel sewed the rest of my clothes.

There’s no dropped stitches anywhere and everything is as straight as an arrow. It’s so good it makes me want to drive the six hours east to see where they actually sew these magical articles of clothing.

One of the fun parts of apparel is that it’s incredibly easy to see what the stitching looks like inside. It can be tougher to view the internal stitching on packs but apparel is generally an open book.

The internal stitching is superb and looks like it’s ready for the long haul. There’s enough sewing here to ensure they stay together through the event and well past the after party.

After the GORUCK Light event I looked the shorts over both inside and out for any tears or loose stitching. The above and below pictures are the only instances of wear I could find.

Seriously… that’s it. After months of wear and (not so much) tear those are the only two issues I could find. Needless to say I’m very, very impressed with the quality.

Design

The GORUCK Simple Shorts are definitely a skinnier fit… those with legs built for squats might be a bit tight in the thighs over here. Check out the picture… that’s my smiling mug in the back wearing these shorts. I definitely don’t have chicken legs but I also don’t have massive squat legs… and you can tell that the shorts are not incredibly loose.

In addition the true size of the waist is a size smaller than what’s listed. That means if you’ve got a pair of size 34 in your hands they’ll fit like a 32… especially in the thighs.

The material is a 94% nylon and 6% spandex blend that is both flexible and comfortable. I would consider these closer to performance shorts than standard ripstop or cotton shorts. They’re great for wearing around as well as training and GORUCK events. The material is also ideal for repelling water… these things dry quicker than I ever imagined.

Aesthetically the shorts look very nice. The design on the back is nice and a solid touch that looks even better in person.

In addition to the nice leather patch on the back there are two pockets as well… basically what you would expect from a pair of shorts.

Usability

These shorts are designed to be great all-around shorts built to handle everything life throws your day. To test this the shorts were worn to bars, restaurants, parties, training events, and GORUCK events. While they excel during training and events they do make a slight “swish swish” sound when the legs brush each other while walking. While it’s not noticeable during and event or at a bar or restaurant if you’re somewhere very quiet you will hear it.

The two-way stretch fabric ensures there’s enough give when you’re out rucking or doing PT so that they move with you instead of tearing or constricting you.

I don’t like wearing shorts to events because gravel and rocks have a much better chance of destroying my knees. That being said, if I am going to wear shorts to an event, it will definitely be the these.

Value

At $75 the simple shorts don’t come cheap. That being said they are made in the US and are really, really good quality and sewn wonderfully.

GORUCK occasionally has sales on their apparel from time to time so if you can catch one of those then it’s even better for you. We’ve seen $40 off $200 for GORUCK’s apparel as well as nearly 50% off on the shorts for the 2017 Christmas in July sale. Even when not on sale the price lines up with other brands that sell USA made performance shorts.

Conclusion

I love the GORUCK Simple Shorts… and they definitely excel during events and training.

It’s true… I rarely wear shorts to a GORUCK event but when I do it’s definitely the GORUCK Simple Shorts.

There are only two complaints I have about them which were both mentioned above. The first sizing is screwed up but GORUCK has acknowledged this so there’s a good chance the next version will be correct. The second is that they’re a little tight in the thighs so a looser cut would be nice. Besides that these shorts are absolutely amazing.