How We Made the Best Hiking Shorts for Women

The TOURA hiking shorts have been years in the making. We knew we wanted to create the best possible hiking shorts for women. 

We wanted women's hiking shorts that would not only be technical and functional, but would also be super comfortable, and flattering. 

So, as usual, we set out on this journey in the usual TK way of creating a design from scratch. 

The problem with women’s hiking shorts is that they are usually either bulky and uncomfortable but functional (think cargo pocket khakis with a false belt that cut your stomach in half), or just plain flimsy (we all know the basic spandex short). 

We wanted to eliminate the problems in both types of women's hiking shorts: by combining the sleek look of your basic athleisure short, with all the technical functionality of a traditional hiking short. 

Unlike most companies, at Tera Kaia, we start by creating prototypes in-house. This allows our team to get intimately familiar with the shape of the design we’re creating, and how it appears on different body types. 

For our first Shorts prototypes, we tried the idea of a zipper. It was bulky, and wouldn’t make sense for production so we set that aside and kept trying. After a few more years of fit tests, prototype adjustments, and experimenting with new fabric we finally landed on a design we liked. 

Whenever we create a new design, there has to be a technical element. Something that sets our designs apart from your basic athleisure. 

In the case of our design for the Best Women's Hiking Shorts, we were able to add TONS of functionality without sacrificing a sleek, streamlined look. You’d be hard-pressed to find the second utility loop (it’s perfectly placed to secure your keys), and the stealth pockets house a surprisingly large amount of stuff before they throw off the look of your hip dip. 

When it comes to the double mesh gusset - only a fully women-run team would understand the need for full breathability down south and execute on it in a way that keeps you fully covered and secure.

The biggest hurdle we faced in creating the TOURA Shorts was finding the right fabric. We knew it had to be recycled - our commitment to sustainability keeps us from using any virgin fibers anymore - but it also had to be super compressive and durable. 

On one of our first mountain wear tests, BK sat on some granite and scratched up the butt of her prototypes. This eliminated the fabric we thought would be perfect, and set us back an entire year as we searched for a more durable fabric that would be just as soft and compressive.

When you are a woman, you understand women… ya know? Our team intimately understands that in addition to being badass and fully equipped for anything we want to look and feel good doing it. It’s high time outdoor clothing was designed by women, for women, and we’ve listened to hundreds of voices to determine the perfect placement for every seam. Each size gets its own set of considerations because body types are absolutely not the same. We adjust, adjust, and adjust again until every single fit tester has that “omg it’s perfect” moment when they try them on.
 

Now our version of the best hiking shorts for women is making its way out in the wild so that thousands of women can hit the trail, crag, or roads looking and feeling confident and comfortable. 

The future of TK Basewear wearers can leave their purses and fanny packs behind, because their pockets can fit everything. If we see a thigh point out on the trail or hear a “these shorts are so comfy” - you can be sure it will bring a smile to our team and make all the effort worthwhile.

Grab your pair of TOURA Shorts now. We don't have any restocks planned in the near future, so don't wait for the sun! Grab a pair now and your summer self will thank you.