FALKE Performance Zip Shirt
They say: woven top with half-zip and long sleeves for cool, still days. Totally seamless, close fitting and with ergonomic warming and ventilation zones, plus a high degree of stretch. Includes reflective detailing. Blue.
We say: I was given this shirt to test at the start of the summer, and it has quickly become one of my favourite shirts to run in. I love the way it is close fitting, it feels like it’s giving you a little hug whilst you are running. I like the material it is made from (89% polyamide / 6% elastane / 5% polypropylene) which is seems to keep you cool when it’s hot, but warm, even when the sun has gone in, it is a bit sweaty, and you should be getting cold.
The FALKE shirt does not have your typical stitching to hold it together. Instead, on the inside it has a ‘fluffed join’ on the arms, which is like it is seamless. It certainly doesn’t rub or cause any irritation whilst running. I’m not sure of the exact definition of ‘seams’ but the material is held together with some very flat and very unobtrusive stitching.
The detail all over this shirt is fantastic. The labels are on the shoulder, so they don’t rub on your side like a lot of other shirts I’ve worn. There is a headphone cable loop on the inside of the collar, which is sized well –big enough for the headphone jack, and small enough so it does hold the cable in place without too much slipping. The shirt has different sections all over it – the arms have a more ventilated bottom section, but are warm on top. The sides are thicker / warmer, and the tummy section is a bit stretchier. This means it does give you different levels of warm and cooling zones, and moves nicely with you.
I’ve worn this top for a lot of ‘big days’ out in the hills and on longer runs where I was unsure what the weather would be doing, and so wanted the warmth a long sleeved shirt brings, and the confidence that whatever the weather, it would keep me warm.
Look and feel: high quality, looks great, feels really well made and ‘solid’. Nice touches from top to bottom, with some excellent detail elements.
What is the fit like: close fitting / figure hugging. I had the Large, and it fits really well both in season and ‘out of season’ when carrying extra weight.
How well does it wick sweat away: very well. Fast wicking and quick drying – I love the way it keeps you warm even if its wet and the temperature drops.
How comfortable: very. Really well designed internal stitching, labels on the shoulder, can wear this all day without problem. Very easy on the nipples too if you happen to go out all day forgetting to lubricate them.
How did it look after a few washes: washed really well. Keeps its colour and its fit. Does not retain any longer term sweat smell!
How well did it last: So far, many miles done and only some very slight bobbling on the front where my vest straps go. Still in very good condition and many more miles left in it.

Value for money: This is not a cheap top, however, I think it is well worth it. With the long and shot sleeved version of this top, I don’t think you would need any others.
Best conditions for this apparel: Changeable day in the mountains when you want to be able to roll sleeves up and down, stay cool in the sun, and warm when the clouds come in.
A great shirt, which has become a favourite.
Also on test – the short sleeved version:
Fitness Zip Shirt
They say: Highly elastic, body-hugging half-zip shirt for top performance in warmer weather. Rapid redrying and seamless fabric construction. Ergonomic ventilation and warming zones plus reflective details. Red.
We say: it’s pink. A deep, rose, or light scarlet. But it’s not red.
As you would expect, the short sleeved shirt is a little cheaper than the long sleeved version, but it still has a lot of the ‘technical’ elements to it, and is made to the same high quality. The detail in this one is around the composition of the material around the body of the shirt, with different sections for under arm, side and front of shirt. This seems to give a nice ‘zoned’ approach to the construction, giving the breathability under arms for example, but with a more robust feeling, thicker section down the sides of the shirt, providing warmth.

Look and feel: Looks quite pink, and feels very well made. Strong, stretchy and like it will last forever.
What is the fit like: Close fitting, with enough elastic to hug, without being “compression”. I really like the way these shirts fit, and this one is long enough that it doesn’t ride up my back when wearing a pack. Fits the ‘longer torso’ very well.
How well does it wick sweat away: Deals with sweat wicking very well, and, similar to the long sleeved shirt, keeps you warm even when it is wet / damp with sweat.
How comfortable: Very comfortable to wear, with flat stitching on the insides, and the label on the shoulder, there is no itching or scratching potential. Great for long days out on the trails.

How did it look after a few washes: Still pink. Washes well though, and keeps shape nicely.
How well did it last: Still going strong after 3 months and many miles, it may as well be fresh out of the box. And it does not smell. Some shirts retain that slightly sweaty, stale smell, but this one comes out fresh every time.
Value for money: this is a shirt that will keep going, and give you a nice hug every time you put it on. Not the cheapest shirt, but I don’t think you would need to replace it for a long long time.
Best conditions for this apparel: Warm, sunny days out and about.
FALKE women’ shorts
They say: loose-fitting, comfortable running shorts. Super fast drying times, reflective details and integrated key pocket
We say: these shorts were a very different style to any running shorts I’ve tried before. They are lovely and loose-fitting (quite forgiving of any lumpy bits) and have a ’Simon Cowell’ style very high waist, which you fold over. This was a bit strange but once you got used to it, it was nice.
Look and feel: very nice, stretchy fabric, very comfortable to wear, long-style shorts but still quite stylish.
The fit: reasonably form-fitting but still quite loose so very forgiving. As well as running I wore them for yoga and circuits classes and they were perfect for this.
How did they look after a few washes: the fabric is of a really high quality and washed very well without any bobbling/fading.
Value for money: they are fairly expensive at £55 but they will probably outlast many other pairs of shorts. I’d get a few summers out of them so value for money in my book.
Best conditions for this apparel: a warm day and a short to medium run. The amount of fabric might make them a bit hot in very hot conditions.
FALKE women’s 3/4 tights
They say: 3/4 seamless tights. Fastest drying fabric construction. Reflective details. Body hugging, supportive fit. Zip pocket.
We say: they’re very red! Once you get over that (now we’re leaving the EU, you could wear them to appear more European while overseas) they are a lovely, high quality 3/4 length tight.
Look and feel: apart from the redness they are a lovely, stretchy, ribbed fabric.
The fit: they are form-fitting and feel very supportive. They wick sweat away and dry very quickly and they’re very nice to wear on longer runs. They give your muscles a nice bit of support.
How did they look after a few washes: still very red! They kept their shape well and there was no fading. Some of the reflective material started to peel off after a few washes but overall they were of really high quality.
Value for money: they are expensive at £65 but only marginally more expensive than other 3/4 length tights of inferior quality. They will last a very long time.
Best conditions for this apparel: would be very good on cold days (the fabric feels slightly woolly) but also suitable on those Autumn days when you’re not quite sure about wearing shorts.
