REI Co-op  Trailmade Amphib Shorts - Men's

Excellent shorts with lightweight fabric that stay in place. I'll be buying more. Wish they had a non-camo grey color. I'm 6'1" 163#. I'm all thighs from running and cycling and I have a hard time finding shorts that fit my slim waist while also having enough room in the thighs so they are not restrictive. The belt is also excellent - many shorts with drawstrings or other types of build in belts I cannot keep my phone in my pocket or they fall down. not the case here. I have not had any issues with the belt twisting after daily use and about half-a-dozen washes. Fabric is lightweight and breezy so I never overheat. Perfect!

Overall a nice short but a couple of design flaws that make a return item. It might seem weird but when you want to relieve yourself you almost have to pull the whole shorts down because: 1. there is no button or zipper, and 2. the belt offers no stretch so even when it's all the way loose you can't just pull the front of the shorts down. You have to pull them down way more than seems necessary. Looks kind of strange when you are at a urinal and you have to pull your shorts down just to urinate It would be nice to have a zipper on the front pockets so you don't lose things when using them for hiking.

If you like a flimsy strap that keeps coming out the pants and is next to impossible to put back in, but this now. It’s frustrating that I bought this as an REI exclusive item with rewards and it was far more trouble than it was worth AND that they would not let me return it outside their return window. REI is becoming too corporate. They were always too expensive but with good quality. Now the quality is gone and customer satisfaction is a lower priority.

I was not familiar with the term "faux fly" so I went into a store to check it out. It means that there is no fly at all but there is a fake seam to make it appear as though there is. These are essentially gym shorts. I own, and regularly wear, an earlier version with a "vrai fly" (sticking with the French double-speak). For me, this conceit is a total non-starter and I abandoned any intent to double up on my existing pair (which BTW is really functional and useful). This is a dumbed-down, cheapened product. Forty lashes with a wet noodle for whoever at REI thought this was a good idea.

Humans have been using belts for a while now. How come both this year's version and last year's version each have a ridiculous flaw with their belts!? Who designed THAT part because the rest of the design is good? Last year the buckles would not stay on and get lost in the wash. This year the failure is more complicated to explain but just as frustrating. The belt travels through a long fabric tunnel. In the wash it becomes unbuckeled and retracts into the tunnel. Trying to rethread it is a difficult, time consuming, frustrating experience.

Looks cool and feels good. There’s just one design flaw. The self-belt is made of a really thin lightweight nylon webbing. This makes it prone to twisting in the tunnel belt loops similar to issues w/ drawstring pants. Another issue with this stupid belt is the non-buckle side seems to be prone to retracting into the loop tunnel. If the belt were made of thicker or more textured webbing, this’d be a pretty nice pair of shorts. Absent that, expect to spend a half hour with needle nose pliers after every washing.

When these shorts showed up I looked them over and was happy with how they appeared and felt. I them tried them on to see how they fit. First off there is a clip on the front that is adjustable which is a nice touch because it allows you to have these a little baggy if you like. The side pockets are ample for putting small things in, and the back pocket has a zipper if you need to keep something secure. I have had other shorts like these but I like these a little bit more because they do not have a mesh inside. This eliminates any bunching up of underwear. Not only can you wear these like regular shorts but I would also think you could wear them as swim shorts. Finally the length is great, Im 6-1” 250 lb., with a 38” waist and the XL’s fit fine. Overall I think these are a nice pair of shorts that you can wear anytime, be it around the house, while out in running errands or while you are in nature. No matter where you wear them, they will be very comfortable.

Much prefer last year's 7' inseam version with the zipper to this year's model with the 6' inseam and no zipper. For guys, it's nice to have a zipper. Maybe it is cheaper to make them without it, but it doesn't make a better product. Last year's colors were better too. Not sure why it was changed when it was perfect last year. Bring back the prior version and I'll buy lots more. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As a few other reviews have mentioned, these are a step down to previous years. There's no fly which is a majors letdown. The belt strap easily comes undone as well.

Lightweight and breezy, and the belt is so helpful for keeping your drawers up and in place. My only complaint, and it’s a me problem, is that my bubble butt has a bit of a squeeze to get on! Again, I have a thick booty, but once they’re on, they fit my waist true to size (I’m a 29 waist, the size small fits my waist great and there’s room for my rear once I get it through the waistband ha ha) this has been my struggle, though- I can’t wear jeans because, apparently, all guys with a small waist don’t have a butt. Thing is, the shorts met my needs and, since I’m not taking my shorts on and off a lot, the booty issue doesn’t come into play a lot.