Why You Should Cut Liners Out Of Running Shorts

Built In Underwear is Statistically Unlikely to be the Best Option

By now you probably already have a preferred pair of running underwear. You found this pair through trial and error, perhaps over the course of many years. It is in your ideal inseam length. It gives you the exact perfect level of security and compression that suits your body best. It isn’t too tight. It isn’t too loose. It is definitely comfortable. And it guarantees you won’t chafe. These are your Goldilocks underwear. And you might even have multiple pairs of the same model.

Now ask yourself, what are the odds that any other random pair of underwear could fit and perform quite as well as your preferred pair of Goldilocks underwear. The answer is extremely low – like, even a 1% chance is generous. Therefore, we argue that it is extremely likely, almost guaranteed, that underwear you already own and run in will perform better than the built-in liners that happen to come with your running shorts. Cutting out the liners and using your Goldilocks underwear will improve your running experience and performance.

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Liner Underwear is Economical, Not Best-In-Class

Take the Brooks men’s 7” Sherpa Shorts, for example. This pair of shorts is available with a built-in boxer brief liner for $72, or without a liner for $64. Therefore, we can assume the built-in liner underwear is roughly equivalent to an $8 pair of running underwear.

A quick scan of the marketplace tells us that premium running underwear costs anywhere from $20-$40 a pop. As such, we can infer that the built-in liner underwear is generally budget-grade, and severely compromises on quality, given that it is 2-4 times less expensive than top-of-the-line underwear. Why settle?

If you want the best possible performance, fit, compression level, fabric, and security, you should always choose premium underwear that does not come complimentary with your shorts. It will massively improve your running experience. For most runners, just having a few pairs of premium underwear means you never have to run with less than the best possible support, fit, inseam length, compressions, etc.

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Built In Underwear Has No Mechanical Advantage

As far as we can tell, there is no mechanical or physical advantage to the shorts and underwear both being attached to the same elastic waistband. At best, one could argue that this helps keep your shorts around your waist, because the friction created by the underwear against your skin is added to the hold created by the elastic waistband. But this is entirely meaningless if, like most people, your running shorts don’t fall off while using them because the waistband fits and it has a drawstring.

However, if you have a loose fitting pair of liner underwear that gets soaked in sweat, the weight and sag of it may actually cause your shorts to slide down a bit, as it exerts extra pressure on the shared waistband.

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Liner Underwear Is Less Versatile

Running shorts with built-in liners are less versatile. If the worst should happen – you know what we mean – you can’t change your underwear without also changing your shorts. There may also be occasions when you wish to change out of shorts and into pants, but now you can’t because you would have to also take your underwear off in public. But this wouldn’t be a problem if you had separate shorts and underwear.

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Conclusion

You Should Cut The Liners Out, Now You Know How And Why

We dislike running shorts with built-in liners because they are statistically unlikely to be your best underwear option, are budget-grade rather than premium, offer no real mechanical advantage, and decrease the garment’s versatility. Cutting the liners out of running shorts is the preferred option, it is easy, and all you need is a pair of scissors. We hope you enjoy your next run having removed the liners from your running shorts!