by Katie Wolpert
Purchasing running pants online, or even trying to compare different brands from store to store is kind of like trying to pick the best watermelon. They all look the same. In this case, black. In this brief guide we give you more of the details that you  need to pick the pair that’s best for you and your needs.
Mizuno Breath Thermal Pant:
$84.99
What I’m talking about when I’m talking about running pants. They are made of lightweight fabric that still manages to provide some protection from the wind. The inner facing has a soft, cloth-like feel. Drawstring, zipper pockets, ankle zippers: everything you need, nothing you don’t and breathability. A perfect, all-purpose winter running pant. Mizuno’s breath thermal technology claims to wick away the moisture from your sweat while maintaining the heat that you’ve produced so that your pants actively keep you warm, rather than just preventing you from getting cold.
 Sugoi Mobil Pant:
$80
Thinner fabric, unlined. They feel more like a simple warm-up pant and for a runner who lives in a mild climate, would be perfectly adequate as a winter running pant. Pants are wider at the bottom, so no ankle zipper is necessary but you can still take them on or off over a pair of running shoes.
Moving Comfort No Chill Pant:
$75
 A yoga-style running pant with a wider, hip fitting waistband and wider at the ankles than the knees. The pant legs are a single layer of fabric, but with a thicker weave than a t-shirt and soft, brushed interior that makes them appropriate for colder weather or warming back up after a chilly run. Moving Comfort obviously puts more attention into style and fit than some of the other brands.
Sporthill:
All Sporthill pants come in short/petite and long lengths.
 Voyage Pant:
$68
The Classic Running Pant. Ever since there was such thing as a pair of running pants (as opposed to a pair of pants used for running), it seems Sporthill has had a say. Their Voyage pant is an unlined, slightly tapered-leg, pocketed version of their standard running pant. Purely and fully functional, a lot of runners have run a lot of miles in pants such as these. Sporthill rates them as good for 25-65 degree weather, but my experience has shown them perfect for good, hard running in weather down towards the single digits. The loose fit is perfect for layering with a pair of tights on colder days.
 Nova Pant:
$80
The women’s Nova pant veers slightly toward the fashion side of the spectrum from Sporthill’s normal location on the purely functional side of things. These pants feature a flat, lower rise waistband, straight-leg fit and stretchier material. The only pocket is in the middle of the back, on the waistband. Fabric is a bit thinner than the Voyage pant, on par with the Moving Comfort pants.
The men’s version is similar — wider waistband, straight-leg cut, same fabric — but with three pockets and an ankle zipper.
 XC Pant:
$110
The heaviest pair of pants in this review, Sporthill’s XC Pant is officially rated for their “Zone 3″ which is 0-40 degree Farenheit temps. The 3SP fabric used for these pants is windproof up to 35 mph, water resistant and fast-drying. These would be a great single-layer solution for all but the very harshest winter weather.
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This was supposed to link me to the five fast shoes for fall. Instead its the pants. Please fix the link.
Does anyone make a simple blast jacket style pant any more. Wind proof and nylon, but not woven nylon…the slick shiny nylon that would stop a gale force wind. With the emp-hasis on compression tights these days, I need something that slides on the tights as I run…on those windy days.
When conditions are rough enough to use pants instead of shorts, they are also often dark and dreary. Can’t somebody make their pants in something brighter and more visible? As an OSU alumni I am still looking for a good orange.