Product Review: adidas Marathon 10 Running Shorts

Today I’m doing something a little different. Instead of a straight up review, I’m going to do a little compare/contrast for you.

If you’re a newbie runner, I have some advice. If you buy it and like it, go back and buy 10 more. This advice can be applied to anything really, not just running apparel/gear/shoes. It works for maternity clothes, regular clothes, cute and comfy shoes, etc. Maybe even puppies?

I started seriously running in 2010. I shopped for all things running on the clearance racks at Dick’s Sporting Goods. I ended up with several pairs of awesome running shorts that I LOVE. After baby #2, I decided to invest in some additional apparel. Unfortunately by this time it had been four years since I bought anything (eek!) and I had a tough time finding stuff I liked and fit well.

I promptly turned to the internet and found most of the stuff I liked was long gone. Of course it was — it was clearance after all! I did find one pair of shorts still in the rotation. Enter the adidas Marathon ’10 women’s running short.

The top pair (blue and pink) were the ones I purchased in 2010. The bottom pair (all blue) are the ones I purchased in 2014. Of course I expected some changes — upgrades and what have you. What I didn’t expect was a complete departure of the original fabric, fit, and design. To be perfectly honest, I was a bit disappointed in the new ones.

Everything changed. From the detailing on the back of the shorts, to the fabric of the liner, and all the way down to the material of the drawstrings. The older ones have a very comfortable mesh liner; the new ones have this weird silky kind of a liner, which can get somewhat… er… uncomfortable at times.

Let me break it down for you:

Obviously I love my original pair. I’m not going to say I don’t like my newer ones. But they are definitely not the same, and definitely not what I was expecting. Having said that, however, they are still excellent running shorts. Would they be my first pick? Probably not. But I do like them despite the changes.

Bottom line — would I recommend the adidas Marathon 10 short to a friend? For the money, absolutely. They are inexpensive, which is key especially for new runners. Sometimes it’s key for veteran runners too, because those races and all that gear adds up!

Would I buy them again? The verdict is still out on this one. They’re nice shorts but they aren’t my favorite.

What do you think? Has something similar happened to you?

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