Review: INKnBURN Running Skirts

May 8, 2012 by Trisha Berube 7 Comments

Showing some INKnBURN love at the Wallis Sands half marathon

Despite not being a “Left Coaster,” as Californians are often called by some of us pasty and snow-ridden New Englanders, I have been a pretty big fan and admirer of INKnBURN clothing for some time now. Why? Well, because their clothing is awesome and it stands out. As it says on their website:

“Our favorite people to design for are those who don’t want to blend in with the crowd. Ever notice that in the huge pack at the start of a race you’ll see maybe 10 different shirts? We decided to change that.”

I have never been much the fan of those 10 different shirts by Nike and Adidas that hang in the racks at the local big chain athletic store, logos flashing flamboyantly away. I have bought a few of them, sure, it’s not like there’s a ton to choose from. But to be honest they’re not really my style. I mean, just because I’m ~~kind of~~ an athlete doesn’t mean I have to be into all that sporty looking gear. I like to dress a little more, I dunno…creatively. I mean, I go out in public wearing toe shoes – I’m not exactly your everyday fashion conformist.

And neither is this small, quality-minded clothing company. Unlike what you’ll typically find on sale at Dick’s Sporting Goods, the folks over at INKnBURN create clothing with the endurance athlete in mind. With the sweaty, exhausted, 7-hours in to a 50-miler, ultra-marathoner in mind. The way they figure it, if an INKnBURN tech shirt can hold up to that level of moisture-wicking, fast-dying, low-annoyance comfort, then just about anybody can stay cool and happy in their product.

And I agree. Their stuff works pretty darn well. At least the skirts, anyway. I look forward to trying out one of their t-shirts at some point, too. Another day, another review.

Anyway as I said, I’ve been a fan of INKnBURN for awhile now. Enough of one that I talked about their creative designs in this article I wrote for active.com, before I’d ever owned anything by them. What can I say…as an art director by trade, I admired their unique design choices.

A few weeks after the article was published, INKnBURN’s owner, Megan, wrote to thank me for the mention, and to ask if I would like to try one of their popular running skirts.

WOULD I?! Are you freaking kidding?

I tried to remain composed, while I tripped and skidded down the staircase to the living room, to tell my husband the news (I think “Ink and who?” was his actual response). I was really very excited for the chance to try their skirts. I hadn’t bought one yet because I rarely ever have it in my running budget to buy a new running skirt. Two reasons: it’s too cold to wear them in New England eight months of the year, and most running skirts never fit me well so the cost of a skirt bought online is hardly worth the monetary risk.

Now that I know better, I am here to tell you that these skirts are well worth their price tag. Make some room in your closet.

In my Peacock skirt and dirty feet at the Boston Barefoot 5K

I was lucky enough to get two of their cool skirts, one from their gorgeous Peacock line, and the other from their Asian-infused Lust line. Made entirely of soft and rather (for lack of a better word) sturdy moisture-wicking fabric, based on fit and feel alone, INKnBURN skirts are unlike any of the other running skirts in my closet. The best way to explain it is the skirt is substantial…it is a piece of truly durable, well-constructed clothing.

Compression shorts with the adorable complement pattern

The skirt layer is made of a fabric that has an interesting check pattern spun into it. Like most all running skirts, it includes a (really cute) sewn-in pair of compression shorts. Compression shorts have never been very good to me on the whole, given that I have not been blessed with those miraculous independent thighs that refrain from touching in the middle. So I never expect much out of a pair of shorts that come with a running skirt. But while these compression shorts are not defying any laws of physics (it still rides up some), it does manage to stay in place longer than most of the other skirts I have worn. Or at least, it finds a happy place to be and stays there, instead of rolling up into one of those uncomfortable bunches under my ass. But you’ll probably have much less riding up if, like most runners, you have thinner thighs than me.

At first I ordered my usual pant size, but when the skirt came it was too big. Ahh…there’s no better compliment than a clothing line that runs large! Haha. So my word of advice is that most of you can probably go down a size when you order yours. Megan and her staff were exceptionally gracious and exchanged my skirt right away for a smaller size. When I talked to Megan she also told me they are presently adding discrete drawstrings to their skirts for a more perfected fit, and my new Peacock skirt has one. It’s a sign of a good company when they constantly update and improve their products in response to customer feedback.

And maybe most importantly, INKnBURN skirts are designed and manufactured by some talented and hard working individuals, in the good old U.S. of A. These folks really seem to do things the way they should be done.

Overall, I like wearing this skirt. I’ve worn them on long runs and I’ve worn them to the grocery store. I plan to spend a lot of time in them this summer.

So check out INKnBURN.com when you have a chance, and browse through their growing selection of women’s and men’s running gear. You’ll get to look amazing and support the little guy, so it’s a win-win.