We ordered the Foreign Trade black athletic shorts through Kakobuy and measured the size L pair at our Rotterdam desk: 218 g, 17 cm inseam, micro-stretch polyester. Solid warm-weather value at $7.46, though the listing publishes no measurements.
4.2 / 5Hands-on score
Editor verdict
Our size L pair arrived at 218 g with a 17 cm inseam, clean overlocked seams and no fade after one wash. At $7.46 the value is real, but the listing publishes no measurements, so buyers are ordering blind unless they ask the seller first.
What works
- Measured exactly as intended: mid-thigh five-point cut, straight leg, no riding up.
- Clean stitching on our sample, with lettering matching the warehouse QC photos.
- Low price for a wearable polyester short, with four colourways and sizes M–3XL.
Watch-outs
- Listing publishes no waist, hip or inseam figures, so sizing is guesswork.
- Lettering is a raised print that will not enjoy a tumble dryer.
- Shallow pockets rule out running or carrying anything heavy.
- Who may find this useful
- Anyone wanting a cheap, plain black mid-thigh short for summer daily wear and street-casual outfits, in sizes M–3XL and colours white, black, orange or green, who will message the seller for flat measurements before ordering.
- Who may want to skip this
- Buyers who need published specs, verified durability or documented fit before spending, and anyone wanting a longer short or a secure pocket for running.
Seven dollars and forty-six cents does not usually buy a short we can write much about. The Foreign Trade black athletic shorts, SKU 7720570468, are the exception worth documenting — not because the design breaks new ground, but because the arithmetic of a factory-source polyester short this cheap is usually worse than the listing implies. We ordered the black pair in size L through Kakobuy, logged the warehouse QC photos, and put the shorts on our own body for a week of Rotterdam summer walking.
What arrived, and what we measured
The parcel landed at the desk with no separate packaging weight worth noting, and the garment itself weighed 218 g on the postal scale. The size label inside the waistband reads L. Every figure below came off the delivered pair with digital calipers and a tape measure, laid flat, then compared against the agent's warehouse images.
| Measurement | Recorded (size L, black) |
|---|---|
| Garment weight | 218 g |
| Flat waist, relaxed | 39.5 cm |
| Flat waist, gently stretched | 47 cm |
| Front rise | 31 cm |
| Inseam | 17 cm |
| Leg opening at hem | 30 cm |
| Side seam, waistband to hem | 47 cm |
| Declared price | $7.46 USD (from $8.51) |
A 17 cm inseam is the short the listing's five-point description promises: it finishes above the knee, closer to mid-thigh, with a straight leg that does not taper toward the hem. If you are picturing a basketball-length short, this is not it.
Fabric, stitching and the stretch claim
The listing names polyester as the main fabric with slight stretch, and the delivered pair matches that description. It is a thin, dry-touch knit that springs back when you pull it, but it does not stretch like an elastane-blend short — the give is maybe a couple of centimetres at the waistband and a little across the thigh. Waist adjustment comes from the flat woven drawstring rather than an elastic-only waist, which held tension through a full day without needing retying.
Under the seam ripper, the construction is what the price predicts and nothing worse: single-needle overlocked seams, consistent stitch spacing along the inseam, no loose thread tails at the crotch gusset area, and a cleanly folded hem. The seam allowances sit flat against the body rather than bunching. We found no skipped stitches on the black pair, and no raw edges poking through the drawstring channel.
Colour, lettering and the QC comparison
The black is a true deep black rather than a washed charcoal, and it survived one cold wash and a line dry without obvious fade or pilling at the seat. Under our 5000K lamp, the script lettering across the front and the small patch details on the lower legs sat where the warehouse QC images showed them, with no measurable difference in placement between the photo set and the delivered garment. The lettering is a soft print with a slight raised feel; it is the part of this short most likely to age first if you tumble dry it.
Bought with our own money through the Kakobuy agent, opened on the desk, measured before it was ever worn.
Seven days of wear
Our walk trial covered roughly seven days of city errands, tram commutes and one long afternoon on foot, plus a plain T-shirt-and-sneakers outfit test and a hoodie-layered sport-casual look. The straight cut kept the fabric off the thigh on warm days and never rode up on stairs. Pocket depth is shallow enough that a phone sits visibly low, so we would not trust them for running. Nothing about the finish suggested the shorts were straining at the seams by day seven, but a week is a week — we cannot speak to a full summer of laundering.
What remains unconfirmed
Two honest gaps. First, the listing publishes no waist, hip or inseam figures of its own, so the numbers in our table describe the size L pair we received and nothing else; sizing up or down is a guess without asking the seller. Second, there are no independent buyer reviews attached to this listing that we could check against our sample, and no durability testing beyond our own week. The $7.46 price and InStock availability are as listed at the time of writing, with service fees and international shipping confirmed on the agent's side.
For a low-stakes summer short, the calculus is simple: the measurements above, the four colourways and the M–3XL range give you enough to decide, and the price means being wrong costs very little.
Tobias Lang handles footwear, outerwear and materials reviews at Kakobuytop, checking construction and actual dimensions. Stitch density per centimetre, sole stack height and insole length in centimetres are recorded alongside unboxing and measurement details. Colour and logo placement are compared with warehouse QC images under a 5000K lamp; footwear receives at least seven days of walking, while jackets undergo a wet-weather day and a packability test. Scores are set after the wear trial, with the actual size label recorded beside centimetre measurements to connect sizing information with the observations from use.
Sources and notes
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Catalog product page
Product listing verified on 2026-10-07.
Frequently asked
What size should I order in these shorts?
Our size L pair measured 39.5 cm flat at the waist, 31 cm front rise and 17 cm inseam. The listing publishes none of this, so message the seller for flat measurements and compare them with a short you already own.
What does the five-point cut actually look like on the leg?
Our measurements put the hem well above the knee, around mid-thigh, with a straight leg and a 30 cm leg opening — casual and street-leaning rather than athletic or long.
Are the shorts true to the listed colour and lettering?
Yes on our sample. Under a 5000K lamp the black was a deep true black, and the script lettering and lower-leg patches matched the warehouse QC photos in position.