Article by Matt Kolat
Arow Marathon Shorts v2 - £125.00
Fit
I would recommend ordering your regular fit. I got my usual size Large and the shorts fit me very well. They are slightly tapered/athletic in the bum area but nice and loose around the thighs, which I appreciate a great deal as my thighs, after years of squatting, are on the larger side. For reference I am 6 foot tall (182cm), 12.9 stone / 82 kg / 180 pounds. I prefer my running shorts on the average end of fits - neither loose nor tight.
What I liked
Fabrics. First of all the brief liner with a new hosiery-grade seam is on the extremely soft end and yet very athletically orientated - thing stay put, if you know what I mean. The fully woven 4-way stretch outer shell from Payen of France - one of the most advanced fabrics in sports apparel really does feel like something else entirely even compared to even most “luxury” running brands’ materials.
All the pockets. Five storage pockets is a lot to play with. There are three pockets in the back, two medium sized towards the sides of the back and one in the centre of the back. The central one can easily fit a 650ml collapsible flask with space for more, the two towards the sides are smaller but still could easily fit a number of gels as per the picture below.
The pockets in the front are both very large and can fit 650ml flasks each. In other words there are umpteen spaces for you to play with!
Awesomeness factor. The shorts, as with the tee - see below, do make you feel like a super star on the run. I was testing the Chance kit in Poland during a short visit to my family where we’ve experienced some of the worst downpours in years, despite being soaked to the bone in almost every instance the kit remained extremely comfortable and did not chafe me at all. The shorts dry really quickly as well which did help on those rainy runs, when the sun, occasionally, decided to show ira face. There is really not much more one could expect from a pair of running shorts…. apart from one thing - see my next point.
What I did not like
Lack of fully secure pockets. None of the five pockets have any security mechanism. This might not be a deal breaker for most people and it isn’t for me, but I do refuse to put my phone in a none-secure pocket. This might be my OCDs speaking but I would really appreciate, if version 3 would include a single button on top of one of the 3 large pockets to keep my phone safe and for perhaps one of the smaller pockets a clip for your house keys.
Arow Ultra Tee - £132
Fit
The fit is true to size. I ordered up just in case but most likely a size Large, which is my usual would fit me just fine. For reference I am 6 foot tall (182cm), 12.9 stone / 82 kg / 180 pounds. I prefer my running shirts on the looser end.
What I liked
Fabrics. Just like in the case of the shorts the fabrics are amazing - AH-MAH-ZING. Honestly when I first got the shirt I thought it was made from some techno-paper, it’s that thin but yet there is a structure to it.
Made from Paven it has anti-pilling and anti-abrasion properties in the top half, which is super important for all of us who go running in a hydration pack, no matter the distance. So many times, wearing other brands, I got home from running in a hydration pack only to find tears on the chest area.
The shirt weighs 60g, feels like wearing almost nothing at all even while soaked in the rain, as it does not retain any moisture. It dries in about 10 minutes after a wash - which is a great property in the holiday season where we don’t bring too many running kits with us on vacation, or as in my case when I travel on business I have to pack light - that’s another bonus.
Most of the fit. As I said I really love how the fabrics feel on me, but a major part of how a garment feels while running is the fit. I would describe the upper part of the shirt as relatively athletic and performance orientated while the bottom on the looser end helping with breathability. Great design ideas - you can really tell that this is a piece of kit thought through by someone who actually uses it!
Feel on the run and general awesomenesses. I feel like I am repeating myself for the 10th time in this review, but honestly it bears repeating - you feel like a million bucks in Chance apparel. As the saying goes: look good, feel good, run good. Tom and Christian at Chance did really create a special piece of kit here.
What I did not like
Price. This will not shock anyone but £132 is at the extreme top of the price range one expects when buying running shirts. That said however, Chance is a luxury / fashion oriented running brand and those tend to be priced at a premium - so no surprises here I actually think the shirt is so lovely it is worth the money - but that’s just my personal feeling and I did get it for free.
Some of the fit. In general I did really enjoy the fit of the Arrow Ultra Tee however it is quite tight in the sleeve. Especially around the bicep area it was almost pinching me. Most runners will not have an issue with this but if you have broad shoulders and larger bicep this might be an issue for you. It did not exactly bother me on the run but did ‘feel’ the tightness of the fabrics around my biceps. Please see the photo below.
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