I had never heard of Opedix prior to being contacted by them, but they’ve been around since 2004. They are using science and technology to create apparel to support kinetic health so people can keep doing the sports they love.

So… are you wondering, what is kinetic health?

Well… according to the Opedix website:

Opedix uses the term Kinetic Health to depict the relationship between the quality of movement and joint function, and describes how the design of their products forms a new comprehensive approach to solving movement-based problems for exercise or rehabilitation.

Basically, it’s apparel that works like an external muscle to help guide your internal forces so you move in a healthy and optimal way. Sounds pretty good, right?

I was sent a pair of their CORE-Tech Shorts.

The shorts are tested to improve core stability and dynamic balance, while reducing low back pain, knee pain and rate of muscle fatigue. They’re made of a fabric that is breathable to help regulate temperature, moisture-wicking and anti-odor. They’re made well, every bit of them seems to be quality craftsmanship.

They feel great on my waist and hips when I wear them, but… well… I hate how they look around my thigh. I don’t have dainty little thin legs, they are strong and muscular. But these shorts seem to squish my flesh in mid-thigh, so I almost have a muffin-top bulge of skin at the bottom and that makes me feel self-conscious. So much so, I don’t even want to take a picture of myself in them, much less post that picture online!

It actually makes me feel bad that I could be denying myself the possible benefits of using these for a long run. The only time I’ve used them is to run on the treadmill because I didn’t want anyone to see me in them. And despite having done some really high mileage on the treadmill in the past, I am incapable of doing that now. 3-4 miles is about my treadmill threshold before I can’t take it anymore. So… that’s how far I’ve worn these to run; 3-4 miles.

Another thing to note about these shorts… they run $165! YIKES! That is so pricey for a pair of running shorts! But they do have an outlet section on their site where they have some significant discounts on a few items. For example, their Womens R1 Knee Support tight is available for $79, it was previously sold for more than $200! I would consider buying these, I used to have a pair of tights (of another brand) that were designed for knee support and I really liked them. And the $79 price tag is actually really good for that kind of technology in a tight.

Opedix has a lot of science and research to back up all of their claims. Plus, from personal experience, a more expensive tight with strategic paneling can make a huge difference when you are experiencing joint pain. So I guess part of it comes down to how bad your pain is and how bad you want/need to keep up with your plan if the expense would be worth it to you.