We wore the Foreign Trade black athletic shorts for 20 hours and put them through three 30 °C washes. The $7.46 polyester cut matches its mid-thigh description, but the listing publishes no measurements for sizes above the one we ordered.
Foreign Trade lists these black athletic shorts at $7.46 USD against a stated original price of $8.51, under SKU 7720570468, with availability shown as InStock. The description is deliberately short: a polyester main fabric with slight stretch, a straight leg, a drawstring waist, a mid-thigh length the listing calls five-point, script lettering across the front and small patch details on the lower legs. We ordered a pair in size L, black, and ran it through the same routine we use for every short that lands on the table.
What arrived, and what the listing actually promises
The listing carries the practical detail in its spec block rather than its prose. Translated from the source listing, it reads:
Main fabric: polyester; trouser length: five-point shorts; cut: straight; stretch: slight; style: street; use case: daily; season: summer; sizes M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL; colours white, black, orange, green.
Everything we could check against the parcel lined up with that block. The shorts are a straight-leg, mid-thigh cut in a single-layer polyester with a visible amount of mechanical stretch in the hand. The waistband is elasticated and threaded with a flat cord through two metal-free eyelets, and the leg openings are finished with a simple overlock and turned hem rather than a taped seam. The script lettering across the front is a surface print, not embroidery — worth knowing before you buy, because it defines how the shorts will age.
Measurements we recorded
We measured the size L pair with a steel tape, digital calipers and a calibrated scale, then compared the numbers with two other $7–$10 shorts in the same price band. The listing publishes no size chart of its own, so these figures are ours, taken flat, not the seller's.
| Measurement (size L, flat) | Recorded | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Waist, relaxed / fully stretched | 37 cm / 44 cm | Elastic band, moderate return |
| Front rise | 27 cm | Sits below the natural waist |
| Inseam | 13.5 cm | Mid-thigh, as described |
| Outseam | 45 cm | Measured before washing |
| Leg-opening circumference | 56 cm | Room for movement without flare |
| Garment weight | 168 g | Complete pair, drawstring included |
| Fabric weight | 175 g/m² | Lighter than the price-band average we logged |
The cut is honest: it ends above the knee, the leg line stays straight rather than flaring, and the 56 cm leg opening leaves enough clearance that the fabric does not cling when you walk. The 13.5 cm inseam is the number to check against a pair you already own, because it is the figure that decides whether these read as street-casual shorts or as something noticeably shorter than the photos suggest.
Fabric behaviour across three washes
We washed the shorts three times at 30 °C, air-dried them flat each time and re-measured afterwards. The outseam moved from 45.0 cm to 44.6 cm after the third cycle, which sits inside our measurement tolerance rather than counting as real shrinkage. The black held its depth with no grey cast at the seams, and the drawstring cord did not fray at the eyelets.
The print is the weak point. After three cycles the lettering on the front panel had picked up a faint surface texture along its edges — visible at reading distance, not at walking distance. A 175 g/m² single-layer polyester is also thin enough that in strong sun you can read the outline of the pocket area through the fabric, which is normal for the price but worth knowing if you want an opaque short.
Wearing it, and what the finish says
Our tester wore the pair for roughly 20 hours across indoor and street use in summer conditions. The waistband kept its shape, the leg openings did not ride up during walking, and nothing about the construction felt loose — the stitching on the hem and the patch details is even and dense enough that we found no skipped runs or open seams on close inspection.
What it does not do is hide its price point. The fabric has a slight synthetic rustle on the hanger, the patches are applied rather than stitched through, and the drawstring cord is thin. None of that showed up as a failure over our test window, but a heavier short at twice the price exists for a reason.
Where the listing leaves you guessing
The listing's own documentation is the biggest gap. It publishes no waist, hip or inseam figures, no fibre-percentage breakdown, and no measurement table for the range — so although sizes M through 3XL are offered, only the size L we ordered is measured here. The season fields also contradict each other, naming both 2024 summer and 2025 summer in different parts of the same spec block, which is a reminder to read the listing you are actually buying against rather than the page title.
There are also no independent buyer claims attached to this source listing. That does not change what we measured or how the shorts behaved in our three-cycle wash test, but it means our size L records are the only fit data behind the product we can point to. If you are ordering M, XL, 2XL or 3XL, message the seller for flat waist and inseam figures for that size and compare them against a short you already own before you check out.
How we tested
We ordered size L in black, wore it for 20 hours across indoor and street use, washed it three times at 30 °C, and measured waist, rise, inseam, leg opening, outseam, garment weight and fabric weight with a steel tape, digital calipers and a calibrated scale. Two other $7–$10 shorts were compared.
Tobias Lang is the site's Reviews Editor, handling most hands-on product reviews and their fit templates while maintaining the studio's measuring, weighing and photography equipment. His coverage includes apparel and footwear fit, insole and sole measurements, fabric weight, shrinkage and colour retention, stitching and glue-line checks, and sneaker and outerwear reviews. Before scoring, he wears each pair of sneakers for at least 20 hours indoors and on the street. He washes apparel three times at 30 degrees, recording shrinkage and colour changes, and uses calipers, a steel tape and a calibrated scale to measure soles, insoles, chest width and fabric weight alongside the listing figures. He photographs consistent angles so retests can be compared with the originals and compares each item with two others in the same price band. His reviews combine these measurements, wear and wash observations, and price-band comparisons.
Is the script lettering on the front printed or embroidered?
It is a surface print on the front panel, not embroidery. Our size L pair showed faint texture along the edges of the lettering after three 30 °C washes, so treat it as decoration that will age faster than the fabric.
How much do these shorts weigh on their own?
Our size L pair weighed 168 g with the drawstring included, and the fabric measured about 175 g/m². That is lighter than the average short we have logged in the same $7–$10 band.
Can I compare the black pair with the white or orange versions in the listing?
We only ordered and measured black, so the white, orange and green colourways are documented by the seller's photographs alone. The cut and spec block are shared across the range, but the fabric shade and any show-through will differ.
Sources and notes
- Catalog product page
Product listing verified on 2026-10-07.