Meet the tester
SOAR Run Tights: first impressions
These SOAR Run Tights have some really innovative features that mean they’re definitely worth the investment. And for leggings – not normally a pice of kit you expect to pay a premium for – they are a considerable investment.
• List price: $205 (US) / £155 (UK)
• Weight (size L): 120g / 4.2oz
• Colors: Black, Navy
• Fabric: 71% Nylon / Polyamid, 29% Elastane
• Sizes: XS-XXL
• Compatibility: Freezing to cool weather tights for easy to intense workouts of any distance
The silicone gripper dots around the high waistband, thigh and ankle help the leggings stay in place, so there’s no need for a drawstring to keep them from slipping down. They save weight and bulk with laser-cut hems and welded seams around the waist and ankles, and where the fabric is sewn together at the backside, gusset and inside leg it’s with low-bulk, max-comfort flatlocked seams. They’re very light at only 120g / 4.2oz for genuinely warm winter running leggings that will protect you on chilly runs, yet breathe well enough for use on milder days too.
They also dry super quickly, and have an understated reflective logo plus strips around the thighs and ankles for soggy nighttime runs. The stretchy, zipped rear pocket is plenty large enough to take a smartphone plus a gel, keys and credit card.
The price is on the high side compared to what we’ve become used to paying for full-length running tights, which SOAR say is due to the high-performance fabrics and the sustainable manufacturing processes used in their European factories with fairly-paid workers.
SOAR Run Tights: on the trails
I’ve been pretty much living in these SOAR Run Tights since the cooler, damper weather struck, and I’m so pleased with their performance in horrible weather on long training runs that I’m going to use them on the notoriously muddy, weather-beaten Arc of Attrition 50 in Cornwall this January.
The fit is what we’d scientifically refer to as “bloomin’ glorious”. There’s a nice, moderate amount of compression to the fabric, which feels supportive when running fast or slow, and we were particularly impressed by both the breathability and quick-drying nature of the Run Tights’ very comfortable fabric. We waded up to knee height in these on a particularly flooded long run across the Meadows in Stamford to Eastern on the Hill and they were dry again within about 30 minutes of running, and remained supremely comfortable throughout.
The only downside (apart from the higher price to pay for more sustainable, ethical garments) is that despite the snug, comfy cut of the high-waist and many silicone gripper dots inside it, these leggings do slip down when my smartphone is in the rear zipped pocket. This isn’t an issue for ultra races and long runs when the phone is in your running pack, but at this price it’s annoying to keep hoiking them up every few minutes on shorter runs and speedwork. Apart from that, they’re the comfiest running leggings I’ve owned.
