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The Legends Luka Shorts could best be described as the training shorts that somewhat put Legends on the map. I found out about Legends brand initially because of the high praise others in my community were giving the Luka Shorts.
As someone on the never-ending quest to find the best men’s workout shorts, I was excited to see what the hype was all about with the Luka Shorts. I was most interested to see how these shorts performed for lifting, CrossFit, and versatile training.
Overall, I’ve been impressed with the Legends Luka Shorts’ performance for cross-training and versatile workouts. This short is comfortable and breathable and has held its own for most of the workouts I’ve thrown at them.
In this Legends Luka Shorts review, I’ll cover all of the essential details that you should know about these shorts before investing in them.
Table of Contents+
Who Should Invest In the Legends Luka Shorts?
The Legends Luka Shorts are strong training shorts for the guy that needs a short for doing a little bit of everything. These shorts deliver a versatile performance that works well in a wide range of training settings.
The 4-way stretch shell on these shorts makes them a viable option for lifting and they move well with the body in different exercises. These shorts shouldn’t feel limiting for things like squats, thrusters, and plyometrics.
I also like the ventilation on the back of these shorts as it gives them a wispier feel. For outdoor sessions and functional fitness workouts where I’m sweating pretty heavily, this short never felt overly hot or heavy.
Additionally, this short’s material is pretty soft and it delivers a nice level of comfort so these shorts feel easy to wear for short runs and daily wear contexts. I think if you prioritize using softer training shorts, then you’ll appreciate this aspect.
My only gripes with these shorts are their outward-facing drawstring and their long-term durability can be a little hit or miss regarding their branding, and you may experience the Legends patch falling off.
Legends Luka Shorts
$65
Pros
- Shell is highly mobile
- Good breathability
- Liner is secure
Cons
- May be snug for super thick legs
- Outward facing drawstring can be hit or miss
- Zipper pocket is so-so
Best For
- CrossFit and Functional Fitness
- Recreational Weight Lifting
- Short Runs
- Athletic-Style Training Sessions
- Casual Wear
Falls Short
- For Long-Distance Runs
- For Long-Term Durability
Legends Luka Shorts Pros
Over the course of my testing and training in the Legends Luka Shorts, I found multiple things to like about this model.
- Good Versatile Training Performance
- Comfortable Material and 4-Way Stretch Shell
- Ventilation Gives These Shorts a Lightweight Feel
The first thing to like about the Legends Luka Shorts is their performance in different gym settings. I really like that these shorts can hold their own for most workouts that I throw at them.
Whether I’m training heavy, tackling an athletic-style workout where I’m sprinting and jumping a lot, or going for a short run, the Legends Luka Shorts have done a good job. I think if you’re wanting a jack-of-all-trades training shorts, the Luka Shorts are a strong option.
For lifting, I like that these shorts don’t feel limiting and they have enough room in the shell for thicker legs. I rarely have issues with this short riding up, so if you have thicker quads, hamstrings, adductors, and glutes, I think you’ll appreciate this construction feature.
I also appreciate that these shorts don’t feel overly heavy for things like short runs and daily wear. There are only a few training shorts that I genuinely enjoy wearing all day and the Luka Shorts have quickly become one of the exceptions here.
Another aspect to like about the Legends Luka Shorts is their 4-way stretch shell and comfortable material. Training shorts and their materials can vary pretty greatly and I often gravitate towards shorts that run a little softer.
I find that the Legends Luka Shorts feel softer than other comparable training shorts on the market and whether you’re opting for a liner or linerless short, they should both have a nice level of comfort to them.
The 4-way stretch of the shell also does a good job at promoting mobility, but not feeling overly stretchy. This is a perk because with the 5″, 7″, and 9″ inseam options, you want the material to bounce back fairly quickly when stretched especially with longer inseams.
The final aspect to like is the ventilation on the back of the short’s leg. It’s a small feature that most shorts don’t offer, but it’s quickly become one of the reasons why I really enjoy the Legends Luka Shorts.
The ventilation in addition to the split-curve hem gives this short a super wispy feel for things like sprints, agility work, and plyometrics. These features also make the Luka Shorts a good option for hotter training contexts.
In my opinion, the blend of the softness of this short’s material in addition to their breathability is what helps really set the Luka Shorts apart for excelling in versatile training settings.
Legends Luka Shorts Cons
Overall, the Legends Luka Shorts deliver a strong performance, but there are a couple of cons to note about these shorts.
- Long-Term Durability Can Be Variable
- Outward-Facing Drawstring Can Be Frustrating
The first drawback with the Legends Luka Shorts is their long-term durability, especially with the Legends logo. Honestly, the logo on these shorts is one of my least favorite features and it’s due to how easily it can come off.
I’m not sure how Legends is putting the logo on the left side of the leg, but however they are, it could use a reworking. I personally don’t care if the logo on my shorts falls off or stays on, however, if you’re spending $60+ USD on shorts, then this shouldn’t be a concern.
The second drawback with the Legends Luka Shorts is their outward-facing drawstring. Whenever training shorts feature outward-facing drawstrings with no option to internally turn them in, I always consider that a knock on the short’s performance.
Don’t get me wrong, the drawstring on these shorts does a pretty good job with waistband security for the most part. However, with outward-facing drawstrings, you always run the risk of having the drawstring come undone or get in the way during certain workouts.
More specifically, I think if you’re doing a workout with something like high-volume burpees or doing anything where abrasion could be present on the waistband, you’ll want to consider this.
For these types of workouts, I’ll typically leave my shirt on to prevent the drawstring from getting clipped or coming undone. From an aesthetic point of view, double-knotting the drawstring can also make it poke out a little more than I would prefer.
Performance
To break down the performance of the Legends Luka Shorts, I’ll discuss how these shorts work in a variety of training contexts. More specifically, I’ll talk about their performance for lifting, versatile training, short runs, and daily wear.
Every pair of training shorts has its own list of subtle nuances, so it’s important to find the shorts that match best with your training style.
Testing the Legend Luka Short for Lifting
When it comes to lifting in the Legends Luka Shorts I enjoyed these shorts for most of my lifting sessions. They’re easy shorts to wear on upper body days due to their comfort and they performed well for my lower body days.
I like that these shorts have enough room through the shell to promote mobility through various ranges of motion, and I never felt like these were limiting on deep squats or lunges.
On top of this short supporting different ranges of motion, I liked how lightweight these feel and I enjoy the antimicrobial tech. If you’re like me and wear your shorts for a few lifts before washing them, then this feature helps prevent stink.
While these shorts may not be necessarily designed for lifting specifically, I thought they held their own and are quickly becoming one of my go-to training shorts for strength and cross-training sessions.
Testing the Legend Luka Short for Versatile Training
For versatile training sessions where I was doing HIIT, plyometrics, and things like jump rope, I really enjoyed the feel and performance of the Luka Shorts. I think this model works well for versatile training for two key reasons.
First, the weight of these shorts is really solid for explosive workouts and HIIT where you’re going to be doing a lot of circuit-style training. For example, when doing high-rep box jump sets these shorts never felt heavy or limiting.
The split-curve hem helps these shorts also not get hung up on the legs when jumping and moving into deep flexion, which I regularly have issues with when using certain training shoes.
Second, if you go with the liner version of the Luka Shorts, then I think you’ll enjoy the level of security they provide. I like that the liner in these shorts doesn’t ride up that much and that it locks everything down.
Overall, I was impressed with the Luka Shorts’ performance in versatile training contexts and I could see them being a good option for athletes and those wanting a short for tackling agility and explosive workouts.
Testing the Legend Luka Short for Short Runs and Daily Wear
When it comes to running in the Luka Shorts, they do a pretty good job for short runs. Shorts like the Luka Shorts and Interval Shorts from Ten Thousand are some of my go-to versatile shorts for short runs due to their ease of wear.
I like the phone pocket on the liner of these shorts and I thought it did a pretty good job with phone security for my runs that ranged from 1-3 miles. I also enjoyed the ventilation of these shorts for outdoor runs.
For runs longer than 3 miles, these shorts can work, but you may want to find a short that is built to be a little more specific in nature. For daily wear, I liked the Luka Shorts and how comfortable, especially for all-day wear.
The material that composes the brief of these shorts and the shell run softer than other shorts, so they feel easy to wear and I sometimes I forget gym shorts on when I’m wearing them. They’re somewhat comparable to the Lulu Pace Breaker’s softness.
I think if you’re wanting a short for more casual wear, then opting for linerless Luka Shorts in a colorway that matches your wants could be a good call. Note, if you go commando in linerless shorts, opt for a darker colorway.
Legends Luka Shorts Sizing
When it comes to sizing the Legends Luka Shorts, you should be safe going true to size in these shorts. Legends use a tool called “Your Fit Advisor” to help you find your optimal size in the Luka Shorts.
While I see the utility of this tool, it would also be nice if Legends provided a sizing guide on the Luka Shorts’ product page as well. I think this could help guys with unique sizing needs find more accurately fitting shorts by cross-referencing the tool and guide.
In this review, I’m wearing a medium in the Legends Luke Shorts with a 7″ inseam and liner. I’m going to provide my sizing dimensions below so you can cross-reference how these shorts fit on my build.
- Height: 6′ 0″
- Weight: 180 lbs
- Waist: 32-33″
- Inseam: 32″
- Hip (circumference around butt): 40″
- Mid-Thigh: 23.5″-24″
Overall, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the fit of the Legends Luka Shorts. I find the shell to be plenty spacious for the muscle on my legs and the liner provides a nice level of compression.
Note, if you opt for the liner option, it’s not a true compression liner, but I found that it provided enough security to keep everything in place. I think if you like snugger liners, then you’ll enjoy the fit of the Luka Shorts’ liner.
When it comes to washing these shorts, I would suggest not putting them in the dryer and letting them air dry. This should help prevent these shorts from shrinking and getting snugger.
If you have additional sizing and fit questions about the Legends Luka Shorts, drop a comment below and I can help you accordingly.
Legends Luka Shorts Vs Legends Luka HD Shorts
If you’re considering the Legends Luka Shorts versus the Legends Luka HD Shorts, then I think there are a few key construction details to assess before investing in one of these shorts.
The two key differences to know are the softness of the material of the Luka and Luka HD Shorts and the space you get from each short’s shell. If you like softer shorts, go with the Legend Luka Shorts.
The Legends Luka HD Shorts have a ripstop shell construction and this material can feel a little stiff and “scratchy” at times. For example, the Luka HD Shorts are not shorts that I like wearing for casual and all-day wear.
When it comes to their sizing and fit, I find the Luka HD Shorts to ride up a lot more when training compared to the Luka Shorts. I think this likely has to do with the stretch of the material so if you have thicker legs then you’ll likely want to opt for the Luka Shorts.
When it comes to their performance comparison, both shorts work well for versatile training settings, but their weight and material can impact their comfort. I prefer the Luka Shorts and find them more comfortable in a wider range of training contexts.
Winner: Legends Luka Shorts. I think Legends is onto something cool with the HD Shorts, but there are small details that could be improved to make these stronger-performing shorts.
Luka Shorts
Luka HD Shorts
Price Breakdown
For the Legends Luka Shorts, you can expect to pay $65 USD for a pair of shorts. Compared to other Legends shorts and premium training shorts, this price point is similar to what you’ll pay at other brands.
For what you get with the Luka Shorts, I do think this short’s price can be justified, especially for versatile training. Plus, if you like softer training shorts, then the price could be further justified.
Another perk of these shorts is that they come in a wide range of colorways and options. I think it’s pretty easy to find a model and colorway that work well per your preferences and I like the inseam and liner options with these shorts.
That all being said, $65 USD for one pair of training shorts can be a little steep for some, so I’d suggest searching for coupon codes or looking into more budget-friendly training shorts if you want to spend around $50 USD or less.
Legends Luka Shorts
$65
Pros
- Shell is highly mobile
- Good breathability
- Liner is secure
Cons
- May be snug for super thick legs
- Outward facing drawstring can be hit or miss
- Zipper pocket is so-so
Best For
- CrossFit and Functional Fitness
- Recreational Weight Lifting
- Short Runs
- Athletic-Style Training Sessions
- Casual Wear
Falls Short
- For Long-Distance Runs
- For Long-Term Durability
Construction Details
There are a few subtle construction details to know about the Legends Luka Shorts that can influence this model’s durability and performance. Below are some of the key details to know about these shorts.
- Waist Size Options: XS (28-29″), S (30-31″), M (32-33″), L (34-36″), XL (37-39″), XXL (40-42″)
- Inseam Options: 5″, 7″, and 9″
- Liner Options: Liner and Linerless
- 4-Way Stretch Shell
- Outward-Facing Drawstring
- Posterior Zipper Pocket
- 2 Front Pockets, Internal Key Pocket Inside Right Pocket
- Ventilation On the Back of the Leg
- Split-Curve Hem
- Antimicrobial Tech
- Internal Brief Liner
If you have additional construction-related questions about the Legends Luka Shorts, drop a comment below.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q:How should I clean the Legends Luka Shorts?
Q:Can I run in the Legends Luka Shorts?
Q:Are the Legends Luka Shorts good for CrossFit?
Takeaway Thoughts
Across the board, the Legends Luka Shorts have been a strong performer in the gym. These shorts offer lightweight construction and can hold their own in most workout settings.
I like the stretch of this short’s shell and how soft the material is. If you prioritize material weight, breathability, and softness with your training shorts, I think you’ll like the Luka Shorts.
When it comes to being budget-friendly or absolutely bombproof regarding durability, there are other options on the market that will fare better for those asks.
If you have additional sizing and fit questions about the Legends Luka Shorts, drop a comment below or reach out to me personally via Instagram (@jake_boly or @that_fit_friend).
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