The SR-Trail 2-in-1 Running Shorts are one of my favorite, most utilized and certainly most versatile pair of shorts in my closet. I've had them since...at least May 2017, so about 16 months of use. (Note: I purchased the shorts with my own money and had worn them for over a year before being asked to write this review.) They are different than pretty much every other pair of shorts that I've tried and in a fairly unique category in terms of performance sportswear. The closest in comparison is probably the Patagonia Strider Pro shorts, which retail for $500-700 more expensive than the SR-Trail though that comparison isn't really accurate so it's best to discuss the shorts by themselves rather than compare them to other brands.  

I've rated the shorts in the five categories that I’ve arbitrarily selected but which are most important to me from 1 (low) to 5 (high). The SR-Trail excel in a quite a few of these areas.

Durability/Quality.  5/5.

As mentioned, I've owned my pair for 16 months and they remain in perfect condition. No rips or tears despite catching them on various twigs and branches. The waistband, which is wider than many running shorts, still fits with no problem having lost no elasticity. They have 'faded' a bit in color (discussed in "Appearance") which I do not rate as a negative.   

Storage. 5/5.

Honestly, I rarely use shorts to carry gear/nutrition so this isn't an important category for me. Usually when you stuff gels and electronics in shorts, you need to tighten the drawstring on the waistband as it feels like they are falling down. That isn't a problem with this pair. 

For the past few weeks, I've played around with loading the shorts up for runs and been pleased with what I've found. The zip front pocket is easily big enough to carry my iPhone 7 with surprisingly minimal bounce. If I did this in a longer race, I would wrap the phone in a plastic bag but I've taken my phone out for several 90 minute runs, listening to music and podcasts from it with no problem.  The rear zip pocket is something I've never really used but it would carry something the size of my wallet and a set of keys if I were to wear them casually. The stretch site mesh pockets can hold my iPhone though perhaps it's best suited for nutrition as each can carry 2-3 gels or 2 nutrition bars. A pair of elastic bands in a t-bar shape on the pack are designed to each hold a gel each. I usually don't trust such pockets but haven't had any problems losing gels in this pair of shorts. 

You could easily carry enough calories for an ultramarathon up to 100km, if required, and could also carry everything you need if wearing the shorts casually. 

Appearance. 3.5/5. 

The ST-Trail are...shiny. In looking at the pictures on superace-sport.com, they look really, really shiny which I don't particularly like. However, the pair that I own looks much less so, probably as a result of wearing them so frequently. Honestly, I don't really care what clothes look like as long as they perform but appearance is one reason I've worn these shorts so much for two specific situations. 

1). I run commute to and from my office each day and, though I head directly to the shower room when I arrive, arriving in my office building wearing a 3" running shorts or compression shorts isn't precisely a good look, as sexy as both may be. 

2). On weekends, I frequently leave early in the morning for a long run then meet the rest of my family out for lunch. The SR-Trail are perfectly acceptable for this sort of thing and can be worn to eat out then to the store then home on the MRT without needing to change or cover up.   

Material/Breathability. 3.5/5 

The outer shell of the SR-Trail are 100% nylon (inner liner is 90% polyester & 10% spandex) and water repellent. If you live in Taiwan, when it rains, you get wet so water-repellent isn't going to keep you dry and I do wish these shorts a bit more breathable. As mentioned in "Durability" the material is remarkably sturdy and I've never torn it, despite wearing them in harsh conditions. 

When you run in these shorts, they do get wet like any pair of shorts (the below picture is following an 80 minute morning run) but they dry very, very quickly. When I wear these in my AM run commute, they dry faster than most gear, even if simply stuffed inside my backpack.  I've finished summer marathons and changed out of every piece of clothing I was wearing but kept the shorts on to return home with them being essentially dry before I have collected my medal, bags and left the venue. 

Price. 4/5. 

The SR-Trail retail for NT$1,680 (~USD$55) which is more expensive than many Taiwanese brands but is less expensive than many international brands such as Patagonia or Salomon. Perhaps the most comparable shorts in terms of fit and features that I have are the Patagonia Strider Pro shorts, which retail for NT$500-700 more than the SR-Trail. 

Final Rating = 21/25.

I anticipate keeping these shorts in a regular rotation, especially for daily training. I would really like to have a shorter, lighter version of these shorts for use in shorter distances like marathons and below in which less storage is required and some durability could be traded for breathability. I would recommend these shorts without hesitation to anybody interested in obtaining a piece of quality running gear.

Sizing

Listed as having an outer inseam of 5 1/4”, the SR-Trail feel more like 7" inseams typically feel. I'm 185cm & ~69kg and comfortably wear an M, which is what I take in most clothing out of Asia. For North American brands, I alternate between S (i.e. Patagonia) and M (i.e. Brooks) but the size chart on the SUPERACE website seems fairly accurate. If you're ordering from North America and undecided, go a size up. If you're in Asia, get your normal size for running gear. 

Purchasing Info

The SR-Trail may be purchased in SUPERACE stores throughout Taipei, at SUPERACE events or online at http://bit.ly/2C1vl1r