Adidas Shorts for Women: Three Stripes, Tiny Track Shorts and Everything Else

The story starts in Herzogenaurach. According to adidas Group, on August 18, 1949 Adi Dassler registered the Adolf Dassler adidas Sportschuhfabrik there, with 47 employees, and the name itself comes from his given name and last name. adidas says he had begun sewing three stripes onto the side of his shoes to make them stand out from competitors, and that is how the brand with the 3-stripes was born. It is still the first thing my eye lands on.

I bring that up because adidas shorts for women are really a conversation about those stripes. British Vogue called tiny track shorts a saucy sartorial statement for hot summer nights, and former Teen Vogue editor Michelle Li told them her summer go-to is a tiny track short with a larger structured feminine top, because it balances feminine and sporty. I have been dressing that way for years: small shorts, a bigger top, and nothing fussy.

The first group is the one I would start with. The Firebird shorts come in several versions here, including the Firebird loose shorts, two Firebird Classic pairs, the Firebird pleated shorts, the Pinstripe firebird shorts and a plain black Firebird pair. Pair the pleated ones with a poplin shirt and loafers, and keep the plainer ones, the black pair especially, for a white tee. The Side-stripe shorts and the Side-stripe logo-embroidered shorts are the simplest way to wear the three stripes, and the Poplin 3-Stripe shorts sit in the same family.

Then the louder ones. The Floral-print 3-Stripes shorts are the playful pair, best with something plain on top. The Stadium 3-stripe Icey Pink/White shorts are the softest in the group. The Sprinter 3s shorts are the closest thing here to the tiny track short Vogue was describing, and I would wear them with a bigger top, white socks and low sneakers.

My fitting-room test is the hem. Sit down in them, and if the shorts ride up past where you want them, try the loose or pleated cut instead.

The second group is for moving, and I will stick to how these look and where I would wear them. Several carry line names: AEROREADY, CLIMACOOL and HEAT.RDY.

The running pairs first. The Adizero running gel pocket shorts are named for the pocket, which is a practical detail when you want your phone or a gel at hand. Own the Run 3-Stripes allover print shorts are the louder option, and Adibreak mini shorts are the brief ones. If you are choosing for a race morning, I would try them on and jog in place in the fitting room, since a seam that bothers you will bother you for miles.

For the gym, there are the Studio All Me performance shorts, the All Me Booty shorts, the Adi365 logo-print shorts and the Essentials pair, the plainest of the lot. The AEROREADY 3-Stripes shorts and the CLIMACOOL shorts are the line-name pieces. The Designed for training HEAT.RDY HIIT 2-in-1 shorts are the one I would look at if you like an inner layer, since the 2-in-1 name tells you it is built that way.

Bike shorts get their own corner. The Print stripes cycling shorts, the Three-stripes logo shorts, the High-waisted shorts, the two Superstar logo-print pairs and the Originals cycling shorts all carry the stripes or a print, while the Biker shorts and the Logo-embroidered shorts are the plain ones. The Optime Power shorts are the simple training pair, and the Adi365 spray-dye shorts bring some pattern. I put any of the bike pairs under an oversized shirt or a long blazer for a walk to coffee, and with a fitted tank for the studio.

Here is the trick I use for any of these off the track: pair one performance short with a clean, structured top. It keeps the sporty piece looking like a choice.

The last group is where adidas shorts stop looking like gym clothes. The Trefoil is a nice place to start: adidas says it presented the logo in 1972 at the Munich Olympics, designed to show up clearly on clothing, and it later became the badge of adidas Originals. adidas describes Originals as lifestyle and streetwear inspired by sport and the culture born from it, and these shorts live in that world.

The Crochet 3-Stripes shorts and the Knitted crochet shorts are my favorites here, and I would wear either with a white shirt and flat sandals and let the texture be the only detail. The Knitted shorts, in a soft pale yellow, and the Chevron-knit drawstring shorts sit right next to them, and they look best with a fitted top in a neutral shade so the knit stays the focus.

Then the soft ones. The 3 Stripes Studio fleece loose shorts and the Studio Fleece drawstring shorts are the pairs for staying in, a slow Sunday or a long flight, and the Logo-print drawstring shorts are the pink pair in the same spirit. I like them with a cropped sweatshirt or a fitted long-sleeve tee, so the shape still reads as intentional. The Adilenium 5.0 balloon shorts are the shape to try for a playful silhouette, and they look sweetest with a slim top, knee socks and low sneakers.

What I would skip: wearing the balloon or fleece shapes with a loose, boxy tee, since the whole outfit disappears, and pairing a chunky crochet pair with a chunky knit on top. Choose one relaxed piece per outfit and make the other half neat.

Here is how I choose. I start by deciding where the pair will go: errands, the studio, a trip or a quiet weekend. Then I pick the group, the track shorts for a city day, the training and run pairs for moving, the crochet and knit pairs for dressing up a little.

Try them on with the top you plan to wear. Sit, bend, and walk to the mirror, then check where the hem lands and whether the waist stays put. I like to stand in front of a window rather than under fitting-room light, because stripes look different in daylight.

And remember the point of the whole edit: one sporty piece and one neat piece. A big white shirt, a fitted tank, a trench or a loose blazer all work with adidas shorts for women, and the stripes do the rest. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together The White Tank Top Is the Layer Everything Else Is Judged Against and Denim With Everything Else.