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October 3, 2012 Comments (5) Gear Reviews

INKnBURN Denim Line – Product Review

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Here’s to all those who have carried armfuls of jeans into a fitting room only to find that none of them fit right. Here’s to obsessively wearing the one pair of jeans that fit and hoping to God they never wear out. Here’s to all those who have hip to leg to waist proportions that are impossible to fit into mainstream denim (thunder quad trail runners, I’m looking at you)!

When I saw that INKnBURN had come out with a denim line, I wanted to cheer in a standing ovation. Jeans have been my nemesis for years, and I was convinced I would leave this earth without ever finding that perfect fit. Skinny jeans? Yeah right.

And then INKnBURN happened. Already a star in comfort clothing, the new denim line is basically “jeans” you can run in! They’re not real denim, but high quality running fabric. The thing is, they look exactly like jeans. INKnBURN makes “denim” shorts, skirts, capris, and full-length pants. All of them you can run in, or wear as a normal pair of perfectly-fitting jeans.

I wore the denim capris for the Noble Canyon 50K this fall, and I had several people stop me ask why I was running in jeans. They look exactly like denim! A few minutes before the race, someone came up to me and asked, “Aren’t you running??” It looked like I was dressed for a regular day in my jeans. Some people wanted to touch them to believe it was performance gear.

Although it was a warm day, I didn’t get hot in my capris. The denim look-a-like is so comfortable and the fabric is designed for running comfort. The shorts and skirt—let’s just say it—are insanely cute. The denim print is particularly flattering in the capris, since they don’t accentuate every flaw, ripple, and butt wrinkle some of us non-super models are prone to have in other tight-fitting running apparel.

It is also extremely difficult to get this print to look dirty. I can go through some gnarly, muddy trails, and still walk into a grocery store immediately afterwards looking like I’m in a fresh pair of jeans. The only giveaway now is my crazy hair.

An added bonus for me is that I live in an RV and my clothing storage space is limited. The INKnBURN jeans have allowed me to get rid of all my pants and save a ton of space, plus they can also double as running gear. I highly recommend them if you’re looking to minimize your wardrobe.

One of the commandments of RV living is to never own anything that doesn’t have multiple uses. As a trail runner, this is even more crucial since I don’t have the space for a “running” wardrobe and a “regular” wardrobe. Before INKnBURN, I was basically wearing running gear 24/7. Now I can still wear running gear 24/7 and have that comfort, yet look more “dressed up” and put together.

I’m indebted to INKnBURN for this line and am saving up for the entire denim line. Slip into a pair of these “jeans”, and you’ll never want real denim again

5 Responses to INKnBURN Denim Line – Product Review

  1. Hey Vanessa, great review! I love INKNBURN’s graphics and have a shirt, arm warmers, and super-cute (said it!) skirt, but I’ve been a bit hesitant about the jeans. I thought they might look tacky, but after reading your review I wanna pair, too!

  2. […] be comfortable. I look forward to running in them when the weather cools a bit. My friend Vanessa loves hers, and has even run a couple of ultras in […]

  3. timmy says:

    Their stuff is too expensive for what you get. Cut back the prices by about 40%, then you are talking. But this is about the way you look not perform, right?

    • Vanessa says:

      Everything is handmade exclusively in the US, which is why the prices are higher than other products. Each piece is individually sown, not mass-produced. The company is small and family-owned, and they also pay the artists well who design the clothing. The quality is very high, in my opinion you get your money’s worth, and I like supporting companies that support US workers and pay them well.

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