Pro Touch Rinito/Striko Running Outfit Review

By Pierre-Maxime BRANCHE. Photos: 3bikes.fr

To run, feeling good in your shoes is essential. But you also need to feel good in your outfit. A sticky material, poor breathability, ill-fitting cuts, poorly positioned seams, or irritating chafing—the discomforts can be numerous and lead to many inconveniences, especially if you’re tackling long distances.

As sunny days are starting to appear across France, we’ve been wearing this Pro Touch running outfit since late February, consisting of Rinito, a short-sleeved jersey, and Striko, its matching long shorts. Pro Touch is an Intersport brand that has been present in the leisure and competitive sports market for over 20 years. It offers a wide variety of products (shoes, clothing, accessories) for multiple sports disciplines. Written in large, underlined letters in the specifications, the quality/price ratio is the ultimate goal, similar to another running brand from a well-known large sports group.

An outfit for less than 35 euros

In addition to its 100% polyester composition, the Rinito short-sleeved jersey features a round neck, flat seams to prevent chafing, and a longer cut in the back to help it stay in place. Some reflective details, like the fluorescent yellow line across the chest, help improve visibility during early morning or late evening runs. Predominantly black, our test Rinito features a very sober design on the lower part of the garment, while patterns have been integrated on the upper part to add some style and a graphic effect. If you want a bit more fun, it’s available in blue/black or white/orange.

Meanwhile, the Striko shorts, only available in black, are designed for runners looking for a bit of compression, as they feature integrated tights to increase muscle support. This 2-in-1 design improves overall comfort. Made of Polyester (90%) and Elastane (10%), these lightweight and stretchy shorts offer great freedom of movement. They feature Dry Plus Eco technology for moisture management, flat seams to limit irritation, an elastic waistband with a drawstring for adjustment, reflective details for visibility, and elastic hems. Also noteworthy is a small pocket on the right hip for a phone, keys, or nutrition.

At €8.99 for the jersey and €24.99 for the shorts, the outfit costs €33.98, thus fully meeting the specifications in terms of accessibility.

Light and comfortable

Let’s not beat around the bush: my first impression, upon discovering these two products, was that I had a football kit in my hands, not a running outfit. For a few moments, I saw myself looking for my cleats, my shin guards, then I projected myself onto the green field in the penalty area, waiting for a loose ball… Okay, I’m exaggerating, but Intersport’s house DNA, a reference in team sports, is certainly no stranger to this.

Once put on, this set proves to be rather light and comfortable, even if a first discomfort quickly appears without even running: this fluorescent yellow band that crosses the chest at the pectorals. This connects two fabric panels (top and bottom) and causes a slight rigidity in this area. And this is confirmed when running: with the swinging of the arms, back and forth and in opposition, the fabric pulls on the side, causing a kind of rubbing on the skin.

That said, inside the jersey, the flat heat-sealed seam associated with this horizontal band offers no roughness and therefore creates no irritation or chafing. Proof of this is a first 25 km test session that caused no injury or even redness. Unfortunately, this sensation of rigidity on the torso and even of elasticity or flexibility is unpleasant and increases during faster sessions when the arms are used to aid the stride. This seam is also present in the back, but it does not cause any rigidity.

In hot weather, this Rinito jersey also lacks breathability. During a long session, the thermal balance is not very good, with a tendency to retain some sweat, which can cause the jersey to stick to the back. The collar design is wide enough not to feel constricted, the sleeves are well cut on the arms, and the slightly longer hem at the back ensures the garment stays in place well.

Not at all compressive

For its part, the 2-in-1 design of the shorts is very pleasant to put on. Despite these two layers, the shorts are light and rather well ventilated with honeycomb inserts on the hamstrings that allow a little air to pass through.

It goes low on the thighs and high on the waist: the very wide elastic band goes above the hips, yet it does not hinder breathing, and ensures good support by itself as I did not need to use the drawstring.

On its right side, at the hip, these shorts have an opening that gives access to a small pocket where you can put keys, nutrition, or, as indicated by the small logo, a phone.

I was able to slip in my iPhone SE-type smartphone without a problem, but it’s more difficult to fit current large formats. This positioning on the right is also slightly problematic insofar as it is subject to the movement of the upper thigh on the one hand, and on the other hand it creates a slight imbalance in the shorts, which is felt even if the drawstring is tightened.

Designed with DryPlus, Pro Touch announces an internal bib short whose role is to provide some compression and muscle support, but it clearly provides neither. Comfort, yes; muscle support, almost none; compression, not at all.

Jogging or running?

Comfortable, this Pro Touch outfit is pleasant to wear for light jogs or active recovery at a steady pace, when pleasure or recovery are the keywords of your outings. However, it lacks freedom of movement to feel completely in tune with more intense efforts over time, such as threshold sessions, and more violent ones for speed sessions on the track, for example. It can also be criticized for a slight lack of breathability when the thermometer rises. While the quality/price ratio is good, it does not deliver on its promise of muscle support or compression in the shorts.

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