Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.
RW+ members pocketed phones in Pacterra’s Middy Compression Short to test if it rose to the occasion—or sagged.
Five years ago, a video went viral not because the runner finished a marathon in Slovakia in 10th place but because of his, um, “wardrobe malfunction.” Such is the risk assumed when wearing skimpy split shorts.
But we’re living in a golden age of running apparel. No longer do we have to resort to the cotton that our forefathers wore during the first running boom. Or the sucky—and stinky—synthetics that the era of tech tees delivered. Now you can find nearly anything seemingly tailored to fit you uniquely.
For guys, that extends to undergarments, too. Sagging liners that can lead to mishaps like the scandalized marathoner are a thing of the past. You can run in shorts with built-in pouches for extra support, if you desire. Or you can find two-piece systems that let you mix and match your liner and your outer shorts for maximum comfort and convenience. There are even shorts that provide different levels of compression.
It’s that last category where we find the Middy from Pacterra, which originally started out making compression wear for other sports. But runners have embraced them because they feel good both while on the road and when relaxing after long runs. Their shorts aren’t as suffocatingly tight as the pairs you’ll get from other compression wear makers, and we find them to be softer and better at managing moisture on moderately warm days.
Of course, buying running shorts isn’t quite the same as taking a car for a test drive. Once you’ve sweated in them, you’re stuck with them—good or bad. So, we assembled a crew of testers who put in 815 miles to find out how these Pacterra shorts perform.
I, too, have been wearing the Middy throughout the spring in eastern Pennsylvania. As the days stubbornly held a chill in the air, I was thankful to have them layered under running tights. I stashed my iPhone in the thigh pocket, a feature that should be standard in all running tights, by the way—a rant for another day. I’ll miss that pocket as I swap out the Middy for the summer months; I prefer short-shorts on high-sweat days.
‣ Size: M ‣ Weekly Mileage: 55 ‣ Favorite shoe: Saucony Endorphin Speed ‣ Short brands I usually wear: Under Armour, New Balance ‣ How I Tested: “Easy recovery runs, tempo, and interval workouts, to multi-hour long runs. I wore them on 30-degree rainy mornings and 65-degree sunny afternoons.” I opted to go with medium, which I worried could have lessened the support. However, these never felt too loose and never felt like I was losing support. I used these as both a base layer underneath a pair of running shorts and as their own layer during a few track workouts. The shorts are hands-down the most comfortable compression shorts I have ever used. The pocket’s size was fantastic. It held my phone comfortably on several runs. On a few longer runs that I did not bring my phone, I was able to store one or two energy gels. Truthfully, this never caused any issues and I could barely tell they were there.
‣ Size: S ‣ Weekly Mileage: 50 ‣ Favorite shoe: Saucony Endorphin Speed ‣ Short brands I usually wear: Saucony, Asics ‣ How I Tested: “40 miles on mountain trails and 70 miles on roads and sidewalks. Most runs were relatively hilly. Temperatures were from the high 30s to low 70s.” I liked the wide waistband. I usually wear a pair of unlined 5- to 7-inch running shorts over compression shorts. For a compression short, I would not recommend these to other runners. The legs are too short to provide any meaningful compression for the hamstrings and quads. I’m 6’1 and 150 lbs and the size small was a little big for me. They are, however, very comfortable, so if a runner was looking for an extra layer to provide some warmth under their running shorts on a cold day, these are a good option.
‣ Size: M ‣ Weekly Mileage: 20 ‣ Favorite shoe: Saucony Omni ISO ‣ Short brands I usually wear: Plusgear, Rhone ‣ How I Tested: “I wore them in temperatures ranging from 42 to 72 degrees. The terrain was mostly flat with some hills.” I followed the sizing chart and chose a large instead of the medium that I usually wear. That worked very well. I think a medium would have been too tight. I found them comfortable to run in, and the phone pocket was excellent. I didn’t even notice my Samsung Galaxy was there. This was the first pair of compression shorts that I have tried. I was skeptical that they would help with soreness. As I was working on getting back into a consistent running routine, I was originally having some muscle soreness. Then I started wearing these shorts, and I believe that they helped to reduce that. I also found the shorts to be comfortable in temperatures ranging from 42 to 72 degrees.
‣ Size: L ‣ Weekly Mileage: 50 ‣ Favorite shoe: Nike Vaporfly ‣ Short brands I usually wear: Rabbit, Lululemon ‣ How I Tested: “Most of my miles tested in these shorts were spent on paved roads, but I did 1000-meter repeats on a track. The temperature averaged between 45-55 degrees with 10 to 20 mph wind for most of the test.” I usually shy away from compression shorts because there is always a fit issue somewhere—waist or legs are too tight, the inseam is too long. This was not the issue here at all. They really seemed to disappear and, honestly, when it comes to running apparel, the less I notice it, the better. The pocket was one of my favorite parts of the shorts. The design of the pocket made it very easy to access gels during long runs. The only issue with the pocket is that there was only one.
‣ Size: L ‣ Weekly Mileage: 15–20 ‣ Favorite shoe: Brooks Adrenaline GTS ‣ Short brands I usually wear: Nike ‣ How I Tested: “I wore them on training runs, a 5K, as well as several fun runs. I ran on asphalt when the weather permitted but also put in some miles on the treadmill.” They were very supportive and fit perfectly. I did not feel the squeeze and compression that other shorts have, making these by far the most comfortable shorts I’ve tried. I put my phone in the pocket. I didn’t feel the weight of the phone at all and it did not move. The style was nice. I wore running shorts over them. Highly recommend these shorts to anyone and everyone. They are super comfortable and supportive and above all else, there was no chafing or rubbing.
‣ Size: L ‣ Weekly Mileage: 25 ‣ Favorite shoe: Nike Vaporfly ‣ Short brands I usually wear: Nike ‣ How I Tested: “I wore the shorts on training and run club runs. I was able to test them out in cold and hot weather.” These shorts are impressive. They held everything in place. The fit was perfect and the material felt great on my skin. I had never used the pockets on running shorts. Testing the Pacterra shorts I used the pocket to store my phone and didn’t feel it at all while running. I now prefer compression shorts with pockets over using a fanny pack. The inner liner of the shorts is incredible. It’s perfect for keeping you warm in cold weather and absorbs sweat on hot weather days.
‣ Size: M ‣ Weekly Mileage: 50–60 ‣ Favorite shoe: Brooks Ghost ‣ Short brands I usually wear: REI, Brooks, Janji ‣ How I Tested: “Outdoor runs, flat and hilly; typically 45 to 50 degrees with 8 to 12 mph winds. Mostly 7:30- to 8-minute pace with some 6:45 tempos. Indoors on the treadmill for interval training with sprints.” The compression was light, but they fit snug and didn’t cause any chafing during my runs. The inner material was softer than expected. They were thicker than typical shorts I layer under bottoms. This was a plus to me because they kept my core warm. People in colder climates or who get chilly during runs may enjoy these more than others due to the thicker material. I usually wear an armband to hold my phone, but I tried a few runs with my phone in the shorts pocket. It fit well and there wasn’t any awkward jostling.
For more Field Test insight and to learn how you can be a tester, head to runnersworld.com/field-test