Ideal for racing on tarmac or trails alike, the Salomon Sense Aero 3-Inch Short offers a good range of movement and secure storage options…

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Salomon Sense Aero 3-Inch Short

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$70 / £55, salomon.com

PROS:

  • Breathable
  • Excellent storage

CONS:

  • No drawstrings

Comfort: 4/5
Support: 4/5
Sweat-wicking: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5

Salomon is probably best known for producing high-performance off-road running gear. And the Sense Aero 3-inch race shorts combine some of that trail styling with a road racing cut.

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A bit like the hybrid offspring of trail and road-friendly short shorts, if you’re smashing fast miles in the mountain foothills or putting down speed on forest trails, these are a ideal choice. However, performance-wise they wouldn’t be too out of place doing track intervals or racing a 5km, too. So there’s good versatility here.   

Salomon Sense Aero 3-Inch Short features

They’re slim fitting with a light and loose four-way stretch Aerotech fabric outer short. It’s nicely flexible and offers an excellent range of movement, enhanced by a one-inch side split but with less of the fall-out risk of some race shorts. 

The fabric also has tiny holes that improve breathability and a wonderfully lightweight feel, while soft brief liners offer good support with flat seams that reduce the risk of unwanted undercarriage chafe. 

Salomon says its 37.5 fabric technology dries five times faster than similar fabrics and they do dry impressively quickly – even after a few miles in substantial rain. 

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They sport a no-drawstring flat waistband that’s comfortable, with no cutting in or rolling up. However, you’ll need to get the sizing right as you can’t tie them tighter. 

Salomon shows its trail heritage with the shorts’ sensible storage options. Pockets integrated into the front of the waistband provides some of the best  easy-access storage in any of the 3-inch shorts on test. 

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Basically you get two access points to one main compartment that’s big enough to swallow a larger smartphone or stows keys, cards and even a few larger gel pouches. You need to take care not to overload these pockets but the waistband holds your essentials in place without any irritating bounce. 

Other details include a reflective logo on the right thigh though it won’t particularly enhance your night-time visibility. They come in five sizes from XS to XL and two colours: black and ‘English Manor’, somewhere between grey and turquoise.