If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy Yes, you can even scramble up a boulder wearing performance denim jeans. ( know: After testing performance denim everywhere from the rock-climbing gym to hot summer trail runs, our outdoor gear columnist names the best overall performance jeans as the Ripton Superlight Jean. She also highly recommends Duer’s Performance Denim Harbour Shorts as the most comfortable, casual-looking shorts.
For hikers and runners looking for maximum mobility in a shorter inseam, she loves the Ripton Trail Daemon Jorts. I don’t have much tolerance for uncomfortable clothing, especially pants. I want to be able to move freely whenever I want, in whatever I’m wearing, whether that means taking a work break to pull hundreds of weeds from my garden or going on a quick hike with my dog at lunch.
And since I sometimes go out among the public for social functions and athletic events, I’m always looking for comfortable, functional gear disguised as regular clothing that makes me look like I’m adulting. Some would suggest denim jeans as a possibility for that role. Jeans have a reputation for being both comfortable and functional—an undeserved reputation, in my opinion.
True, made from 100% heavyweight cotton yarns woven into a tight-knit twill, traditional denim can be soft, durable, and functional for things like riding horses and shoveling what comes out of that horse. Denim jeans also resist snags when scrambling on rocks or pushing through abrasive brush on a trail. And they provide resistance from wind and cold for bike commuting or shoulder-season hiking.
But they aren’t truly functional compared to modern outdoor gear: they’re too stiff to allow for flexible rock-climbing moves, restrict knee bend for comfortably pushing bike pedals or stepping uphill on a hike, and could cause hypothermia if you get wet…because they stay wet. Do you want to wear jeans with their unforgiving waistband and button closure at the Thanksgiving dinner table? Or on a plane for seven hours?
Or during any outdoor activity that requires full movement and makes you sweat? Jeans do become stretchier as the fibers relax, flex, and adapt to the wearer, but not enough to be truly active. That said, there are jeans that successfully blend casual fashion and athletic function.
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