Can one short really cover every sport? The Vuori Kore Short shoots for that lofty goal – and does a decent job.
The Vuori Kore Short is among the best gym shorts for men, designed with versatility in mind. Vuori’s workout gear goes big on versatility and simple style and the Kore shorts claim to be ‘one short for every sport’. They’ve been spotted on the likes of Harry Styles, but are they really good enough to be a complete workout short? Expert gear tester Kieran Alger hits the gym, the road and the local cafe to find out.
Men’s Fitness verdict
Versatile and comfortable shorts for any activity or casual wear. Perfect for holiday packing, offering both functionality and style.- Great versatility
- Super soft breathable liner briefs
- Plenty of stretch and flex
- No phone-friendly pockets
- No flat seams on the liners
How we tested the best gym shorts
To see how these Vuori shorts performed, MF tester Kieran Alger put them through a range of varied workouts, from runs and cardio classes to lifting sessions and hikes. He assessed them for comfort, fit, and sweat-wicking capabilities. He put them through multiple wash cycles to test durability and general wear.
Design and features of the Vuori Kore Short
Vuori specializes in workout gear that pairs functionality with all-day style. The brand’s gear switches seamlessly from kicking back at your local cafe to logging miles in the park or doing drills at the gym. The Kore Shorts follow Vuori’s blueprint with highly functional fabrics, classic styling and muted colors.
The Vuori Kore Shorts’ super soft four-way stretch fabric is made from a mix of recycled polyester, polyester and elastane that’s light, breathable and hangs well.
We tested the 7.5-inch that drops just above the knee and comes with a silky soft built-in brief liner. But there are shorter 5-inch and longer 9-inch leg styles and the option to go liner-free. Which is good if you’ve got a favorite base layer training short.
For storage, there are three pockets, two open tennis-short style slash side pockets and one smaller velcro back pocket that’s not quite big enough to stash an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
There’s a pretty standard elasticated drawstring waistband and they come in six sizes from XS to 2XL and at least nine different colors with subtle tones and classic styling that makes them a good option for kicking back pre- and post-workout.
When it comes to care, the Vuori Kore are machine washable and you can tumble dry them on low.
How the Vuori Kore Short performs
In testing I put the Vuori Kore Short through a lot. Everything from dumbbell-only leg workouts, to high-mileage running on the roads. I hit the tennis court and attempted some at-home yoga. Like the Vuori Strato Tee that I tested alongside these, the standout here is how soft, silky, light and flexible the fabric feels.
The silky boxer-style liners offer instant comfort with a fit that’s more like regular underwear rather than a compressive layer in some shorts but still supportive enough to keep all your bits where they should be. Even when you’re tackling more dynamic drills.
However, the liners don’t have flat seams and that’s always a worry for chafing. But they were great at handling sweat and on my 90-minute runs, I ran rub-free. If you’re not a fan of the liners peeking out of gym shorts look, you’ll love these. The legs cover the built-in brief which boosts the casual non-gym styling.
The 7.5-inch shorts I tested offered plenty of dignity protection. That’s not only good for the deeper stretch drills in the gym but you can feel pretty confident sporting these in the cafe without feeling like you’re showing too much hairy thigh.
Speaking of stretching, there’s plenty of flex in the outer shell fabric and the liner so the range of movement was great
My only real gripe was the lack of storage. The open side slash pockets are deep enough to stash your phone but it’s a drop risk when you sit down. The rear velcro pocket is too small as well.
On sizing, I tested my usual medium and the fit was spot on. If you’ve got bigger quads, you might want to consider shifting up a size.
I also put the Vuori Kore Short through some time in the pool, sauna and steam room and at least half a dozen wash cycles, including time in the tumble dryer. The liners inevitably lost a bit of softness but otherwise they showed no signs of worrying wear.
Should you buy these shorts?
One short for any sport is a big claim but the Vuori Kore short comes pretty close at least as a casual option. Comfort is great but the USP is the versatility. Stick this in your suitcase on holiday and it’s got the functional creds to handle almost any activity and the simple style to still look good after.
| Materials: | 88% polyester, 12% elastane |
| Features: | Soft and stretchy inner lining; elasticated waistband with drawcord; deep side pockets and additional back pocket with velcro fastening; |
| Inseam: | 7-inch |
| Sizes: | XS-XXL |
| Colours: | 21 colours and patterns available |
