Gym shorts are one of the hardest things to buy made in the USA. The big athletic brands make theirs overseas, including several that lead with American design. The exception we found is Los Angeles Apparel, which sews a run of jersey and mesh gym shorts in its own Los Angeles factory and says so on each product page. None of them is technical running gear. All three are honest, US-made shorts for lifting, training and everyday wear.
Los Angeles Apparel MT42 Mock Twist Gym Shorts
Los Angeles Apparel’s MT42 is a 5-inch-inseam jersey gym short in an 8 oz cotton-poly knit, sewn in Los Angeles for $36. It is not technical running gear. For lifting, walking and everyday training it is the best US-made short we could find, and LA Apparel also makes a mesh version for hot weather.
View at Los Angeles Apparel →| Rank | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Apparel MT42 Mock Twist Gym ShortsPick | $36 |
| 2 | Los Angeles Apparel 1242GD Heavy Jersey Gym Shorts | $36 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Apparel PRM442 Pro Mesh Gym Shorts | $40 |
MT42 Mock Twist Gym Shorts
An 8 oz per square yard super-heavy jersey, 90% cotton and 10% polyester, with a 5-inch inseam, side pockets and an elastic waist with an inside cord. Unisex sizing. LA Apparel pitches it for workouts, runs and hikes; it is the most versatile of the three.
Best for: Best all-round
1242GD Heavy Jersey Gym Shorts
An 8.5 oz per square yard jersey from LA Apparel's garment-dye line, which the company says is sewn from 100% USA-grown cotton and is shrink-free. 5-inch base inseam, elastic waist. Pick this one if you want the cotton grown here as well as the shorts sewn here.
Best for: USA-grown cotton
PRM442 Pro Mesh Gym Shorts
Mid-length, basketball-style shorts in a durable 100% polyester mesh, with two side pockets, an adjustable drawcord and a roomy cut. Mesh dries faster and breathes better than jersey, which makes this the summer and court pick. A longer version, the Pro Mesh Long Short, is also made in LA.
Best for: Hot weather and hoops
Popular gym shorts that are not made in the USA
Several athletic brands lead with American design or an American headquarters. We checked the shorts below against each brand's own published information. None is made in the USA.
| Short | Where it is made |
|---|---|
| Ten Thousand Interval Short | Colombia. Retail listings and the garment tag read "Designed in NYC, made in Colombia." |
| Tracksmith Session Short | Vietnam, per Tracksmith support. Some Tracksmith items are US-made; this is not one. |
| Vuori Kore Short | China, Cambodia, or Colombia depending on run. REI lists country of origin as China. |
| Rhone Training Short | Rhone's support page names China, Peru, Portugal, Turkey, and Vietnam as its largest factory partners. |
If you are shopping elsewhere, look for a Made in USA statement on the specific product page. A US headquarters or a "designed in" line is not one.
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 gym shorts made in the USA?
Yes, but few. Los Angeles Apparel sews several gym shorts in Los Angeles, and its product pages say so per style. Many “American” athletic brands, including Ten Thousand, Tracksmith (Session Short), Vuori and Rhone, make the shorts we checked overseas.
Are Ten Thousand shorts made in the USA?
The Interval Short we checked is not; listings and the garment tag read “Designed in NYC, made in Colombia.” Check the specific style, since brands change factories.
What should American-made gym shorts cost?
The three we list are $36–$40 on the maker’s site as of October 2026.
Lined or unlined?
None of the three product pages mentions a liner, so plan on wearing your own compression layer or brief underneath if you run in them.