Correction, August 4, 2026. This page used to recommend six pairs of gym shorts as American made. We checked each manufacturing claim against the brand's own published information. Five of the six did not hold up, so we have pulled them. We are leaving the page up, and out of search results, rather than deleting it.
| What we claimed | What we found |
|---|---|
| Ten Thousand Interval Short — "USA" | Made in Colombia. Retail listings and the garment tag read "Designed in NYC, made in Colombia." |
| Tracksmith Session Short — "Boston, MA (design)" | Tracksmith support confirms the Session Shorts label reads "Made in Vietnam." Some Tracksmith items are US-made; this is not one. |
| Vuori Kore Short — "Encinitas, CA (HQ)" | Made in China, Cambodia, or Colombia depending on run. REI lists country of origin as China. |
| Rhone Training Short — "USA (designed)" | Rhone's own support page: "our largest factory partners are located in China, Peru, Portugal, Turkey, and Vietnam." |
| Olivers All Over Short — "USA" | Was genuinely made in San Francisco, but Olivers Apparel has gone out of business. The storefront returns "This store is unavailable." |
Four of these were never American-made. The fifth was, and the company is gone. We had also published hedges like "verify production" as if they were factory locations — those were unresolved research notes that should never have shipped.
Honest truth: finding gym shorts fully made in the USA is harder than finding American-made jeans. This category is thin. Here are the best options we found, with full transparency on manufacturing.
Los Angeles Apparel Athletic Short
Ten Thousand’s Interval Short is a performance workout short with a strong domestic story, built from a durable four-way-stretch fabric with a secure liner and pockets that actually hold a phone through a run.
View at Los Angeles Apparel →Athletic Short
LA Apparel makes a basic athletic short in their Los Angeles factory. It is not performance fabric — it is cotton-poly fleece. But it is US-made, costs $28, and works fine for casual gym sessions or weekend wear. The value pick for guys who want American-made without spending $70 on shorts.
Best for: Best for heavy use
How we chose
Every pick above has its country of origin verified against the maker's own published statement for that specific product, with the source and the date recorded. Where a brand publishes nothing, the product does not appear. We do not score products — how we choose them is written out. Nothing here is paid placement.
Frequently asked questions
Are any performance gym shorts made in the USA?
Fully domestic performance shorts are uncommon, but brands like Ten Thousand and American-made athletic labels produce select styles in the USA. Check each style, since performance brands often split production.
What length gym short should I get?
5–7 inch inseams are the versatile all-around choice; shorter (3–5 inch) suits running and mobility, longer suits lifting and casual wear. Pick by your main activity.
Lined or unlined workout shorts?
Lined shorts add support and prevent chafing for running and high-movement training; unlined shorts are better if you prefer to wear your own compression layer or use them for lifting.
How much should quality gym shorts cost?
Premium performance shorts run about $40–$80. The extra over big-box shorts buys durable four-way-stretch fabric, a better liner, and pockets that survive repeated washing.