22 Summer-Ready Shorts to Let Your Legs Breathe in Style

The best shorts for men? Complicated question. Before we dig into the billion-and-one designs, we gotta talk length and shape. TikTok Teens would have you believe that a five-inch inseam is the only length that matters. Fellas like Milo Ventimiglia and Paul Mescal, however, might urge you to go up a couple of inches and show off a little more thigh. And on the other end of the spectrum entirely, our May cover star Justin Bieber prefers to step out in loose, baggy shorts that would make members of Michigan’s Fab Five proud. The beauty is that you can go for anywhere along the spectrum—or, better yet, make a few stops along the way and stock your closet with a wide variety of shorts. Because there’s an absolutely insane amount of styles out there.

To help with that, we’ve turned up the 22 best shorts for men for every possible budget and need. Whether you’re after for an elegant pleated pair—à la Giorgio Armani—or just some breathable nylon beaters to get you through the weekend, we’ve scoured the market to bring you the grade-A options that’ll free your trunks.

The Best Do-Everything Shorts

Earlier this spring, a very specific segment of menswear Twitter lost its damn mind thirsting over this unassuming pair of shorts from the Swoosh. We were skeptical at first. Then we saw the perfect inseam length, the sleek finish, the low-key colorblocking. Taken together, those details make for shorts you’ll want to wear all day every day, no matter what you’ve got on the agenda. Turns out, Twitter gets it right sometimes.

The Best All-Around Shorts

Alex Mill flat front chino shorts

When you’re after a pair of regular, everyday shorts that fit like a charm, Alex Mill truly understands the assignment. Their strategy? Take their best-selling chino pants and chop ’em down for summer wear. Wide-legged and relaxed with just a hint of stretch, they’re about as versatile, comfortable, and timelessly stylish as a pair of shorts can be.

The Best Handcrafted Shorts

Corridor handblock paisley drawstring short

Give your tropical print shirts the summer off. Corridor’s tasty shorts are doused in a traditional paisley that’s printed by hand using natural vegetable dyes. As trippy and out-there as the pattern might seem, the subdued tones mean they’ll sync up like a charm with everything from crisp camp shirts and tees to linen blazers and polos.

The Best Denim Shorts

Our Legacy denim short cut shorts

Yes, it’s true: the jorts revival is here to stay, and it’s time you got on board. Our Legacy’s denim line is famous for experimenting with silhouettes and offbeat finishing touches, and their take on jean shorts is particularly playful. Using a special digital printing technique, they’ve overlaid the fades from a pair of vintage denim directly onto these brand-new jeans. The result is a pair of killer shorts that look straight off the thrift store rack, but upon closer inspection are as ultramodern as it gets.

18 More Pairs of Mens Shorts that We Love

Birdwell Beach Britches corduroy shorts

Like Led Zeppelin, corduroy shorts sound like a bit of an oxymoron and rank among the greatest things to come out of the ’70s.

Todd Snyder + Champion reverse French terry warm up short

Spruce up your summer sweats.

Patagonia Baggies 5″ short

Once a classic, always a classic.

Rhude logo short

The MVP of NBA tunnel fits.

Abercrombie A&F resort short

Packable, quick-drying swim shorts worth planning a trip around.

Jungmaven garment-dyed hemp and organic cotton-blend jersey drawstring shorts

Organic hemp and a lovely shade of lavender combine for some of the most soothing shorts we’ve seen yet.

Gramicci G shorts

Whether you’re scaling a craggy rock face, navigating the
Patagonia Baggies shortage, or just need some solid workhorse bottoms, slot your legs into these grade-A climbing shorts.