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These pants have been given a playful tweak, with satin-jersey side strips that run along the inside leg, rather than the outside. If they bear more than a passing resemblance to a grail-worthy Prada show of a decade ago, it’s no bad thing—not least because you can now get the look without spending a fortnight on resale websites. They’re also far more approachably priced than the signature track pants at Wales Bonner’s own label, which will easily set you back twice as much. When you think of it that way, they’re sort of a steal.
Best Designer Track Pants: Balenciaga Oversize Track Pants
Balenciaga
Oversize Track Pants
Pros
- Impressive fashion credentials
- A future collector’s item
- Superior construction
Cons
- European designers come with spicy pricing
- You’d better be comfortable with baggy pants
Balenciaga’s explosively-hyped run with creative director Demna might have come to an end (he’s since decamped to Gucci), but it’s not too late to get your hands on some of the most highly-coveted styles from his tenure. These track pants bring together two of the signature styles from his time at the helm—athletic-inspired clothing, and provocatively oversized silhouettes.
If the roomier proportions feel alarming at first, they’re a lot less daunting when worn with something simple: a boxy white tee, denim jacket, or mohair sweater would quickly balance out their volume. Plus, these pants will give new life to the bulkier sneaker shapes you might’ve been ignoring lately in favour of slimmer styles.
Best Track Pants That Are More Pants Than Track: Fear of God Track Pants
Pros
- The connoisseur’s choice
- Relaxed, without a hint of sloppiness
- Made in Italy
Cons
- A steeper price for everyday pants
Fear of God is one of the most thoughtful and impressively high-quality American menswear offerings money can buy right now, with an aesthetic that sits somewhere between Giorgio Armani and Rick Owens. These track pants are a great example of the brand’s approach: An everyday item, reworked to feel like a true luxury product. Made in Italy, with an elegant and minimal cut, they’ve still factored in just enough flair to the details—notice the extra-long drawcords, gentle draping through the legs, and subtle branding at the waistband. As a result, this is the rarer pair of track pants that could legitimately be smartened up for evening events.
Best Performance Track Pants: District Vision Zanzie Track Pants
District Vision
Zanzie Tapered Logo-Print Track Pants
It’s only fair to assume that you might also be looking for a pair you could actually hit the track in. In that case, we’d recommend looking at the LA-based brand District Vision, which has fully cornered non-cheesy workout gear market. Like a lot of District Vision’s product offering, these pants are thoughtfully made from recycled materials. But the real success here is in the fit: not too slim, not too baggy, with a gently tapered cut that finishes in an elasticated hem. Plus, the front panelling detail gives them enough of a Gorpy edge to make them entirely wearable far from the gym, too.
More Track Pants We Love
How Are Track Pants Different to Sweatpants?
When we talk about track pants, what we mean is a pair of pants made from a technical fabric, finished with an elasticated waistband and usually (though not always) an uncuffed hem. In short, a pair of pants that could conceivably make up one half of a tracksuit (even if they’re not sold with a matching jacket). Sweatpants, on the other hand, are designed more for comfort than performance, usually from thicker cotton or polyester blends, and as such have a much more casual look.
How We Test and Review Products
Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.
Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.
How We Make These Picks
We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality, fit, and price.
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