Summary
A tough and incredibly well-thought out pair of fight shorts designed for both grappling action and on street cool. I was very impressed with the incredibly high quality or production and added functionality of these shorts.
Nogi contacted me a while back asking me to review a bunch of products from their new line up - this review is part one of three Nogi branded items that I will be reviewing over the coming week.
Introduction
HD is all the rage these days. You cannot flick on a TV or watch a movie without having everything HD blasted into your face. So I suppose calling your fightwear brand HD - presumably to imply the term High Definition - is to keep the marketing on message with the kids of today! Regardless, the first thing I noticed when picking up these shorts was how solid it was. It is a hell of a lot heavier and thicker than all my other MMA shorts. These babies are obviously designed to take a pounding.
Design and Style
I must confess I really dig the nogi logo. It nods strongly to the gothic fonts typical of most MMA brands but is much smoother and less aggressive. The only criticism I would add is that the umlaut above the 'O' can make it look like the letter 'a', so the word reads 'Nagi'. Which in itself is a cool word I suppose.
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| Nagi? Nah, Nogi. |
The overall look of these shorts is sophisticated black with white embroidered accents. It is minimal compared to a lot of fight shorts but in a way, that's what makes these stand out more. A really really cute touch are the branded drawstring tips.
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| Cute laces! |
Good fit
The HD fight shorts are held up by a plethora of features. There is of course the frontal velcro, then there is the aforementioned branded drawstrings. To the sides along the inside hem are some rubberised strips that grip the hips and to the rear is an elasticated section. Combined together, these features ensure that these shorts WILL NOT COME UNDONE!!!
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| Tip - all this velcro will ruin your wife's bras in the wash |
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| You want secure? We give you quadruple secure! |
Stretchiness
Of course no company in their right mind would release fight shorts without the obligatory split side vents and stretchy lycra bits around the groin. It means you can Thai kick to the moon and back and not suffer one iota of a wardrobe malfunction. It's been years since I could kick above my own knee height and, as I do not train MMA, it's a feature that is lost on me sadly. And in any case, for no go grappling, I don't think side vents are that important. But it is nice to know that these shorts will easily stretch and pull during the ebb and flow of a typical grapple.
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| Stretchy lycra along the gusset |
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| Side splits - not too big, which I prefer |
Cool extra bits
I wore these shorts and completely did not know that tucked inside is a large pocket. I guess for keeping hold of a gumshield. But for me, I'm thinking, ooh, nice place to hold my wallet and keys!
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| Big sack |
Speaking of the insides, I really like the idea of double lining the shorts with more shiny lycra type material. It's like wearing a rash guard for your bum :D
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| Inside lining, cool! |
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Rolling performance and summary
I rolled some nogi wearing these shorts and they felt superb to train in. I guess as I am mainly a gi player, I really prefer the feel of a good solid pair of shorts on my legs, rather than the thinner types. I will post photos of me rolling in the shorts in the next Nogi Review Post, where I review the Nogi long sleeve rash guard.
To summarise - these shorts are absolutely loaded with features and are probably the toughest fight shorts I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. I also like the fact they the design is subtle enough that you can wear it out and about without feeling like a dorky UFC fanatic (apologies to dorks).
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| I know, I should eat more! |
Credits, disclosure and further information
My thanks to Nogi Industries for sending me these shorts for review. You can buy their stuff online here:
http://www.nogi.com/home.php
This review represents my own opinions. I am not an expert in textiles or clothing etc, just a regular BJJ student who likes to review stuff. I consider myself independent and impartial - I am not sponsored by any one company nor do I endorse any one brand. I have a close dialogue with a large number of gi makers and sellers, some of whom I collaborate with on various projects that are unconnected with this review. If you have any questions about this review, please feel free to email me (see About Me) or post a comment below. I hope this review was helpful. Join my Meerkatsu Facebook page for further feedback on this review and the chance to win prizes in my regular contests.
:)
Summary A tough and incredibly well-thought out pair of fight shorts designed for both grappling action and on street cool. I was very im...
