Construction & Features

The Stio PTV Shorts are about as minimalist as shorts go. The feature set includes an elastic waistband with external drawstring, and two mesh-lined trouser-cut hand pockets. That’s literally it. If you don’t need or want bells or whistles, these might just be the perfect pair!

So why do they cost $100? That would be because of the high performance, “Relance™ Primeflex™, Mechanical Stretch Plainweave, 100% Polyester, 50 denier, 94 g/m2 with DWR Finish”. This is a pretty dang nice fabric in that it gives you mechanical stretch, rather than stretch derived from elastanes like Spandex. Spandex blends have a slower dry time, so polyesters with mechanical stretch usually outperform them in humid climates. The fabric has a soft and smooth hand feel, and is finished with a DWR treatment, which resists light precip and further speeds up dry time.

We always preach the gospel of pocket security, and these pockets are not secure. That is to stay, they are of standard depth and hold with no zipper closure. As such, we don’t recommend storing critical essentials in them while moving, which could be reason to choose a different pair for technical pursuits. An inversion could result in lost contents. But as a consulation, there is a sub-pocket inside the right hand pocket with a tight-ish envelope closure and enough room for a key or air pods.

The fit is standard to the core, not trim or baggy, and the waist runs true to size as well. One small feature we love but found missing on the PTVs would be a notch cut into the side hem. If we’re shopping for running shorts, we always want a notch because it increases range of motion and helps prevents ride up. Not a deal breaker though.