T8 joins the Afterglow party + REVIEW
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Afterglow is super chuffed to welcome the T8 crew to our funky, fluro family!
Who, you say?
T8 is a small outfit with big dreams and bigger heart in an often heartless retail world. They are borne of the classic: have a problem, current market doesn't solve it, may as well solve it ourselves. Taking comfy running gear here that serve more than one purpose.
Their line is “Comfy running gear designed by ultra runners” - and that’s important. Ultra runners tend to run longer and further than most and so are more exposed to the issues that clothing can have on long runs. T8 has gone a long way to solving those, but designing and wear testing in the humid, sometimes hot climes of Hong Kong (yep, plenty of trails there trust us - Lantau anyone?).
Their Sherpa shorts are THE BOMB (see review below).
And the T8 crew caught sight of our flashy (in terms of glow) event, and liked what they saw and have jumped on board with a bunch of prizes. Perfect.
Of course we don’t let any ole sponsor jump on board. We like ethical ones. One’s with heart. And this mob have that in spades (they support the Himalayan trust of Nepal, for instance with a percentage of sales going to support the Trust).
So - check them out, support those who support us. We have worn the shorts and undies - and love em. We are currently figuring out how to have a set for every day of the week and then some
REVIEW:
Guys are funny creatures. We have funny bits. And bobs. And odds. And sods. And all those unwieldy (some would say ugly) parts are weirdly shaped and of different presentations according every bloke. I won’t speak on behalf of women, but for us, sometimes all those sods start to rub, sweat, grind, and generally create great discomfort the longer a run wears on.
Or is that just me?
Don’t get me wrong. This is no boast post. It’s not necessarily a ‘size thing’. It may very well be for some. But, sadly, that’s not my story. I just know that there’s only ever been one pair of running shorts that has ever done the job on the jog. Now, make that two pairs. The first was Patagonia’s Strider Pro. A great short that with its comfy , no rub inner and a plethora of pockets around the hip, meant gels and phone were all secreted away with comfort. It was a stretch to add a soft flask, though. That’s where the Naked running band came in. Between the two, a 20km run was a cinch, no pack required.
This is where the T8 crew went one better. Their Sherpa short (combined with the Commando undie inner), added the stretch elastic waist band to the actual short, inbuilt. Win #1. And does it work as well as the Naked belt - yep! The waistband stretch pockets (x 4) are enough to hold a phone, water, gels, even a rain jacket packed well. The key to the pack is using the flat laces to snug the band around your waist, allowing a carry capacity of around 2L or 1kg with minimal bounce.
Now, the real win (#2) in these shorts is the comfort factor. I will note that the shorts themselves don’t come with an inner. So don’t do what I did and forget that to begin with. Get the Commando undies to match! If you rock the pair, it’s almost a sublime running experience. So light are the shorts and undies that they are barely-there kind of running. You almost feel nude. It’s kind of liberating. Most importantly it’s non-chafe. Anywhere. Usually, I get between-thigh and (close your eyes if squeamish) up the crack hot spots. Not with these. Even when it was warm. Humid. Sweaty. Like a 110km run along the Cooloola Trail in 28+ degrees in Queensland. No dramas. Best of all the super lightweight 4-way stretch 78gsm fabric wicks and dries off in a flash, aided by a water repellent coating.
Adding to confirm is a 6-inch in-seam and high side slit for extra mobility.
It’s an order online affair, so be careful with sizing - there are charts on the website, but if in doubt, go one size bigger than you usually would: says the website “your waist size could be larger than your regular pants size. Smaller runners with large quads or looking for a more comfortable fit should consider going up half a size.”
If you grab a pair of T8 Commandos running underwear (highly recommended), you can bundle the pair and use discount code 10FOR2 for 10% off - and both come with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee!
T8 Sherpas and Commandos come in both Men’s and Women’s