The Complete Guide to Nike Shorts

Nike offers one of the biggest shorts ranges of any of the best-known sports brands. This should make it easy to find shorts to suit almost any activity, whether you need athletics kit, board shorts or casual wear for a trip to town or a day at the beach.

The Nike collections offer shorts for men and women and include an array of different styles, sizes and colours. These range from basic running shorts with no more decoration than the world-famous tick to fan shorts dedicated to popular sports teams, including Nike football kits.

Nike’s shorts styles explained

Shorts Styling

Nike shorts are suitable for both amateur and professional sports people and athletes, but the style you need will depend on what you are planning to use them for.

Nike splits its shorts ranges into different categories based on their use. These include basketball, running, swimming and impact protection. Of course, not every activity will have its own category, but it should be simple to find something similar while browsing the ranges at sports shops such as https://www.kitking.co.uk.

Their function will dictate the style of the shorts you choose. Running shorts to wear for the London Marathon, for example, would generally be high-cut to allow for a wide range of motion, while swimming shorts are made from quick-drying fabric and impact protection shorts have padding between the hips and thighs. Find out more about the London Marathon at https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/.

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Men’s sizing guide

Men’s Sizing

Nike’s sizing is based on hip and waist measurements. These are:

S: Waist 29-32 inches; Hip 35-37
M: Waist 35-37; Hip 37.5-41
L: Waist 35-38; Hip 41-44
XL: Waist 38-43; Hip 44-47
XXL: Waist 43-47; Hip 47-50.5

Nike also makes shorts in less common sizes and can go up to a size XXXXL in some styles.

Women’s sizing guide

Women’s Sizing

Women’s sizes are fairly straightforward and correspond to the following measurements:

XS: Waist 23.50-26 inches; Hip 33-35.5
S: Waist 26-29; Hip 35.5-38.5
M: Waist 29-31.5; Hip 38.5-41
L: Waist 31.5-34.5; Hip 41-44
XL: Waist 34.5-38.5; Hip 44-47
XXL: Waist 38.5-42.5; Hip 47-50

Common-Sense Approach

If in doubt as to the style best suited to an activity, use a little common sense to match the features you need with the activity you intend to do. Yoga shorts may not be very good for running, for example, as they are extremely thin and don’t offer protection from abrasions.

Summary

This guide covers Nike’s shorts range for men and women, explaining that styles are grouped by activity such as basketball, running, swimming and impact protection, each designed differently, for example high-cut running shorts versus padded impact shorts. It also gives detailed men’s and women’s sizing charts based on waist and hip measurements, and advises using common sense to match shorts to the activity.

Questions this article raises

• How consistent is Nike’s sizing across different shorts styles and ranges?
• Which Nike shorts style is best suited to general gym workouts rather than a specific sport?
• Do these size charts still match Nike’s current product ranges?