We ordered and wore these $7.46 factory-source polyester shorts for two weeks. The straight five-point cut and drawstring waist work for summer, but the listing still publishes no waist, hip or inseam figures.
- Hands-on score
- 4.0 / 5
Review notes and specifications
Foreign Trade's black athletic shorts sit near the bottom of the price ladder: $7.46 USD at the time of writing, down from a listed $8.51, marked in stock, and sold under SKU 7720570468 from a factory-source listing. We ordered the black colorway in size L, wore it through two weeks of Portland summer, and measured it against shorts already in our rotation.
This is a simple garment, so the review is mostly about three things: what the fabric is, how the cut wears on a moving body, and how much measurement risk you take on when the listing stays quiet about numbers.
What we ordered and checked
Our sample arrived as a single black pair in size L. Before wearing it, we laid it flat, measured the waist, rise and inseam with a tape, and compared those figures with two pairs of shorts we already own — one athletic, one casual. We then wore it for walking, gym sessions and weekend yard work, and machine-washed it three times on a cold cycle to see whether the front lettering and the small lower-leg patches stayed put.
Materials and construction
The listing names polyester as the main fabric, and the factory specification sheet repeats polyester as the primary component, with slight stretch. In hand, that reads as a light, smooth synthetic with a small amount of give across the seat and thigh — enough to squat and step without the fabric pulling tight, not enough to feel like a knit.
The shape is a straight-leg, five-point cut. In practice that means a mid-thigh length that ends comfortably above the knee, with a drawstring waist rather than an elastic band alone. The black pair carries script lettering across the front and small patch details on the lower legs, which is what moves these from plain gym short into the street-casual category the listing assigns them to.
| Specification | As listed and as tested |
|---|---|
| Main fabric | Polyester, slight stretch |
| Length | Five-point (mid-thigh) |
| Leg shape | Straight |
| Waist | Drawstring |
| Sizes | M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL |
| Colors | White, black, orange, green |
| Price at review | $7.46 USD (listed at $8.51) |
| SKU | 7720570468 |
| Availability | In stock |
Fit and sizing
Our size L sample measured roughly 15.5 inches across the waist relaxed, about an inch more with the drawstring pulled in, with a front rise near 12 inches and an inseam of roughly 7.5 inches. Those are tape measurements from one pair in one size, taken to the nearest half inch, and they are not a substitute for the manufacturer's own chart — because there isn't one published.
That is the real friction point. The listing offers M through 3XL but publishes no waist, hip or inseam figures, and there are no independent buyer claims attached to it that we could use to cross-check how the sizes run. If you are between sizes, or you are buying for someone else, the reliable move is to message the seller for flat measurements of the exact size you intend to order and line them up against a pair you already own.
Two weeks of wear
The drawstring waist stayed put through walking and light lifting, though the cord is thin enough that we tied it double during anything bouncy. The straight cut kept the leg opening clear of the thigh, so there was no riding up during squats or stair climbing, and the mid-thigh length kept the fabric off the knee. On hotter afternoons the polyester felt light rather than clammy, which is what we expect from a thin synthetic short in this price band.
After three cold washes and air drying, the script lettering and the lower-leg patches on our sample were still flat and attached, with no lifting edges. We would still keep these out of a hot dryer — the same advice applies to most printed polyester.
Two weeks in: the cut does its job, the price is the headline, and the missing measurements are the only thing that made us hesitate before ordering.
Buying notes
Four colorways are listed — white, black, orange and green — while the product title names black specifically. If you want orange or green, confirm the option with the seller rather than assuming the photos in one colorway describe the others, since dye lots and print placement can differ between variants.
At $7.46 these are a low-risk warm-weather short for street-casual dressing, and they pair with the obvious things: a plain T-shirt and sneakers, or a hoodie when you want layers. What the price does not buy you is documentation. Treat the listing as a description of materials and cut rather than a tested specification, and ask for numbers before you commit to a size.