03 April 2015

gear review - Skechers midnight running tight

i know - you're still trying to get over the fact that Skechers should be taken seriously as a running company.

maybe you're starting to hear about how many people are training in and racing in Skechers Performance Division footwear.

maybe you've noted that premier athlete and Skechers Performance brand ambassador meb keflezighi is the reigning 2014 Boston Marathon champion.

maybe you've seen Skechers as a feature sponsor at road races and triathlons.

but what else have they got to do with running?

how about technical apparel?

late last year i received several pieces of Skechers Performance gear to help get me through my season of winter training, and among them was the midnight running tight.


now i will admit that i'm a tight-wearing kind of guy - especially when it comes to layering up for harsh tundra-like workout conditions as are common in this neck of the woods.  when i first tried the midnights on i will say that i was slightly disappointed - i hoped that they would feel like compression tights, but they slid on more like tight-fitting yoga pants - and the ankle cuff was loosely fitted, not wrestle-over-your-heel narrow.  minor letdown at the outset.

however, they felt velvety smooth - the spandex/poly fabric has a really nice hand to them, and i could quickly tell that the next-to-skin contact would not ever be an issue.  in fact, they worked extremely well as a semi-thermal tight because they are a heavier weight than a standard technical tight.  

although not required during the winter (because i wore them underneath a nylon-paneled outer pant) the reflective detailing on them are well-placed from the appliqué Skechers logo mark on the mid-thigh to the shin-crossing sewn-on reflective strips.

so there were many functional aspects of the pants that i did like - so what didn't i like about them?

for one, i wish that there was some kind of pocket system integrated into the tights - whether an external zippered pocket at the back just below the waistband, or even a small internal key-pocket.  if i'm going to head out on a run with these tights as a single layer, i'd like to have somewhere to keep my keys or a bit of cash.

second, i had a question about quality - in particular as it relates to the rear-facing cuff zippers.  they feel solid enough, but that's in part where the issue lies - they're so solid that it's almost a two-handed job to zip or unzip them.  now given that they are pretty stretchy at the cuff it's not a big deal to whisk the pant over your unshod feet, but if for whatever reason you want to unzip the bottom of the leg for additional clearance it's not that quick-and-dirty.  better zipper sourcing next time please. 

my video review is available here:


considering all of this i do really like the midnight run tight - so much so that i made sure to get one of my running partners into his first pair of tights, and it was in a pair of these.  for comfort, function and affordability (at just $40 USD) Skechers has gone and done it again!

*** disclaimer:  i was provided with the Midnight Running Tight by Skechers Performance Division (Canada) but was not obligated to provide a positive review.  all opinions - however poorly expressed - are my own. 
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