Over the past few weeks, I’ve been testing running apparel from two companies, Gore Apparel and Endeavor Athletic.
Gore Apparel Mythos Singlet, Essential Baggy Shorts, and Fiber Run Socks
Gore sent me an entire outfit: the Mythos 6.0 Singlet in blue, the Essential 2.0 Baggy shorts, the Gore Fiber Run socks, and the Essential Windstopper Gloves. Because cold weather is still several months away, I’ll review the gloves at a later time.
Mythos 6.0 Singlet
I generally prefer shirts with short sleeves to singlets, so I don’t have much of a basis to compare this item to others. It’s a 100% polyester tech shirt with moisture-wicking properties, but it doesn’t have the slick feel of many tech shirts. It feels almost knit from natural fibers. I did find it to be an interesting feeling of openness around the shoulders, and if you like that aspect of singlets, you would probably like this singlet. I’m of average height and thin build, and the medium fit me perfectly.
Essential 2.0 Baggy Shorts
This is a nice, comfortable pair of tech shorts. It feels pretty water resistant on the outside, and it wicks moisture effectively. If you’re like me and don’t like to run in very short shorts, you’ll like the length of these. Note that these shorts have an inner lining, so you kind of have to go commando. The inner lining did feel a bit tight when I first put the shorts on, but that feeling quickly disappeared once I started running. For me, this pair of running shorts is useful as a stash in the car or office for those unexpected running opportunities (along with packaged wipes).
Fiber Run Socks
A wise man (Albus Dumbledore) once said that you can never have too many socks. I’ve tested a number of running socks, and maybe the best review is one that says you don’t notice them. But that doesn’t offer much use in terms of differentiating one pair from another pair. So, while I didn’t notice the Fiber Run Socks during my run, if there is one thing that stood out, it was that they felt a bit firmer than other socks. In part that’s because these are not no-show socks, and also because they are a bit thicker than usual.
Endeavor Exceed Tech Tee
This is not me, but a photo grab from the Endeavor website.
Endeavor sent me the Exceed Tech Tee. This is a performance technical shirt that uses the materials science of Trizar Technology to help dissipate heat faster than traditional shirts do. It also includes silver chloride to reduce odors (which is definitely useful when it comes to running gear).
I’ve worn this shirt several times while using a stationary rowing machine, three times while running, and once just as a casual T-shirt. Like that of other cooling technology, such as Columbia Sportswear’s Omni-Freeze Zero, the effect of the Trizar Tech in the Exceed Tech shirt is subtle. When I went running at dusk on a warm summer evening, I felt comfortable and slightly cooler in my torso than elsewhere. However, when I wore the shirt on a day with a blazing sun, whatever cooling effect there might have been was overwhelmed by the heat soaking impact of the black color. On a sunny, mild day that signaled the imminent arrival of fall, I felt comfortable. So the cooling effect can be noticeable, but it’s not like you’re going to feel like you’re running with an ice pack in your shirt. It’s more like a bonus when there’s a breeze or shade – and then once in a while, you’ll shiver unexpectedly.
One thing I really like about the Exceed Tech is that it fits me perfectly. Not that I have any particular body image issues, but I feel pretty sleek when I’m wearing it. Note that it is not an long shirt, so if you like your T-shirts to hang low below your waist, you might want to go up a size.
Companies:
Products and Prices:
Gore Mythos 6.0 Singlet $49.99, sizes S-XXL, multiple color options
Gore Essential 2.0 Baggy shorts $45.99-$49.99, sizes S-XXL, color options blue, black
Gore Fiber Run socks $22.99, sizes 6-7.5, 8-9.5, 10.5-12, black and gray mix
Endeavor Exceed Tech $68, sizes S-XL, color options black, black-charcoal, white-graphite
More about GORE and Endeavor:
GORE RUNNING WEAR® is your reliable and innovative source for high-tech trail and urban running apparel. We enable you to focus on what you love to do – running. All products are engineered and designed in such a way, that they work perfectly together within an integrated Outfit System. Their function, fit and design enhances your performance and comfort.
To get the best possible result for everybody we combine carefully the right fabrics. We combine the latest innovations from the GORE-TEX® and WINDSTOPPER® product ranges with hand selected GORE® Selected fabrics, which are handpicked for their excellence in compression, moisture management, cooling and venting or fit. All engineered and combined together to achieve the best feel, fit and performance and always considering the . . . runner’s body in motion.
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Founded by a collective of elite athletes and trainers, Endeavor Athletic’s mission is to provide advanced performance apparel designed to help athletes at all levels achieve their personal best.
During training sessions, Endeavor’s founders saw firsthand how performance could be adversely effected by the active-wear athletes were trusting. Time and time again, progress and sustained athletic execution were limited by “performance apparel.” Endeavor saw a need for athletic clothing that acted as equipment—focused on performance under pressure, not trendy patterns or names meant to distract from poor quality.
Created and rigorously tested by world-class athletes, Endeavor’s collection of technical apparel combines curated advanced fabrics, technology and design features that work together to enhance performance through fit, fabric and comfort.
Thank you to GORE and Endavor for providing us with samples. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
