Hate Short Running Skirts? Here’s One Option!

As I’ve run more and more, I’ve become somewhat comfortable with wearing shorter shorts. In fact, now that I’ve gone shorter, I feel like longer shorts are kind of too restrictive of my Usain-Bolt-like pace. (Ahem, that would be in my head.) But running skirts? I still feel weird rocking short ones, even when there’s a built-in short. I’m sure a psychologist would be able to tell me why shorter running skorts freak me out, but instead of diving into the murky waters of my subconscious, I find it far easier (and cheaper!) to just wear a longer running skirt. Which is where the Mizuno Meridian Skirt comes in.

Much like Mizuno sent us gear to review last summer, they also sent us this running skirt to wear to get our jog on. Made of moisture-wicking fabric that’s smooth, forgiving and comfy, this skirt has a fun tonal print on the back left hip, along with a reflective logo for safety when running in the dark. The outseam of the skirt is 13-inches, and it feels roomy. Like I’m not about to flash my lady bits—or even appear to flash them, as there is an inner compression short.

And let’s chat about the inner short a bit. Because while the outer shell is pretty, I feel that the compression short is the real star of the show. For being compression, it’s firm but doesn’t make you feel like a stuffed sausage, and it has a hidden pocket on your left thigh—a spot you normally don’t see a pocket in running skirts. This pocket lines up to a strategically placed hole at the waistband, which allows you to store your iPod and then run the headphone’s cord to your ears. Genius! The waistband also features an inside coin pocket, and the whole skirt boasts a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) of 40-plus.

While I wouldn’t call this skirt long per se, it’s definitely not short. And it’s definitely cute and super functional (I still can’t get over that pocket!). For about $50, it’s worth the change.

Tell us, what do you look for in a running skirt? —Jenn