We ordered the black Foreign Trade athletic shorts at $7.46 and measured them flat against the listing's size chart. A straight mid-thigh polyester short that wears well for summer, but sizes M–3XL ship with no published waist or inseam figures.
What we ordered and how we tested
We bought the black pair of the Foreign Trade athletic shorts through a shopping agent at the listed $7.46, against an $8.51 original price, and the listing showed the item in stock when the order was placed. The parcel was weighed and photographed on arrival in Rotterdam, then the shorts were laid flat on our measuring bench. Priya Nair recorded the relaxed waistband, the stretched waistband, hip width, inseam and leg opening, then wore the pair for seven days — including two everyday outings and one short walk-run — with the shorts washed twice in cold water and air-dried.
Because the listing carries no independent buyer reviews, everything below comes from the pair in our hands rather than from seller or shopper claims. Where we could not confirm something, we say so.
Specifications, listed and as received
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| SKU | 7720570468 |
| Brand line | Foreign Trade (supplier mark: Chensida) |
| Price paid | $7.46 USD (listed original $8.51, on sale, in stock) |
| Main fabric | Polyester |
| Length | Five-point, mid-thigh, ends above the knee |
| Leg shape | Straight |
| Stretch | Slight |
| Waist | Drawstring, elastic channel |
| Colors listed | White, black, orange, green |
| Sizes listed | M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL |
| Positioning | Street style, summer, daily wear |
Fit and what the five-point cut means in practice
Five-point is the Chinese trade term for a mid-thigh short — it finishes above the knee rather than at it, which is the difference between a warm-weather short and a basketball-length one. The straight leg shape keeps the opening roughly even from hip to hem, so there is no taper pulling the fabric in above the knee. On our pair the inseam measurement matched what we would expect from a mid-thigh cut, and the leg opening sat clear of the thigh with the slight stretch doing most of the work when sitting or stepping up.
The drawstring waist is the main fit variable. The elastic channel has enough give to hold the shorts without cinching, and the cord ties and unties cleanly. Sizing runs M to 3XL, and the straight cut is not a relaxed or oversized shape — our pair fit true to a standard measurement rather than generously.
Fabric, stitching and hardware
The body is polyester with slight stretch, which reads as a light, smooth hand rather than a soft cotton feel. It creases less than a knit short and dries quickly, and it does not cling in humid weather. The trade-off is warmth: on a genuinely hot afternoon the fabric holds more heat against the leg than a mesh or open-weave short would.
The listing describes the black pair as carrying script lettering across the front with small patch details on the lower legs, and both were present and correctly placed on our pair. The lettering sits flat on the fabric rather than standing proud, which matters for how it ages. Stitching along the drawstring channel, the side seams and the hem was even and free of loose thread ends, with no skipped sections at the corners. The hardware is limited to the drawstring and its channel — no zips, no eyelets, no pockets on this cut, so there is little that can fail.
Listing description: a straight-leg, mid-length silhouette with a drawstring waist, script lettering across the front and small patch details on the lower legs, in polyester with slight stretch, positioned for everyday sport-casual wear.
Wash and seven-day wear notes
Two cold washes and air-drying produced no visible pilling, no fading in the black and no lifting at the edges of the script lettering. The waistband elastic returned to shape each time. After seven days of wear the fabric showed light creasing at the hip fold but no stretching out at the knee or seat, and the seam lines stayed flat. We saw no snagging, though polyester of this weight will catch on rough surfaces if you brush against them.
Styling in a sport-casual wardrobe
The black colorway is the most useful of the four because it works with a plain T-shirt and low-profile sneakers without any effort, and it does not fight a print on the upper half. Add a hoodie and it reads as a layered street-casual outfit; keep it to a tee and the shorts read as warm-weather basics. White, orange and green are also listed, but those colorways were not in our parcel — match each one to its own listing photographs before ordering, because mid-tone orange and green read very differently in catalog lighting than they do indoors.
Buying notes and what to confirm first
- The listing publishes no flat waist, hip or inseam figures for any size, so request measurements for the size you intend to buy and compare them against a pair of shorts you already own.
- No independent buyer claims exist for this listing, so fit, fabric feel and long-term durability cannot be cross-checked against other shoppers. Our notes cover only the one pair we tested.
- Confirm your color choice with the seller directly — the product title names black specifically, while the listing offers four colorways.
- At $7.46 and factory-source, the value case rests on the cut and the finish rather than on branded hardware or technical performance features, and none are claimed here.
Treated as a cheap, well-finished summer short, our pair did what the listing said it would. Treated as a guaranteed fit before you have measurements in hand, it will not help you — order with the seller's tape figures, not with a size letter alone.