Men's Bottoms
Men's bottoms for the outdoors and everyday, from hiking and travel pants to everyday and active shorts and quick-drying swimming shorts. Our range features Just Another Fisherman, The North Face, Columbia, Patagonia and On, built to move with you.
Choose your bottoms for the activity and the season. Pants cover hiking, travel and cooler days with durable, often stretch or water-resistant fabrics; shorts handle summer, training and casual wear; and swimming shorts are made to get wet and dry fast at the beach or on the boat. Look at the fabric, the fit and features like pockets and stretch for how you will use them.
Fit and length are personal, so come and try a few at our Grey Lynn concept store, or order online for fast, tracked delivery across New Zealand with easy returns.
Frequently asked questions about men's bottoms
How do I choose between pants, shorts and swimming shorts?
Start with the activity and the weather. Pants suit hiking, travel and cooler conditions where you want coverage and durability; shorts are for summer, training and casual warm-weather wear; and swimming shorts are the ones built to get wet and dry fast for the beach, pool and boat. Many people keep all three, choosing on the day by temperature and what they are doing.
What fabrics are best for outdoor bottoms?
For active and outdoor use, look for lightweight, quick-drying and often stretch fabrics such as nylon and elastane blends, which move with you and handle sweat and damp. Water-resistant finishes add weather protection for cooler days. Cotton and denim are comfortable for casual wear but slow to dry and heavy when wet, so they are less suited to the trail. Match the fabric to how hard and wet the day will be.
How should men's pants and shorts fit?
Aim for a comfortable waist that stays put without a belt straining, and enough room through the thigh and seat to move, squat and climb freely. Outdoor bottoms often have a slight stretch or an articulated cut for exactly this. Length is personal: pants should sit around your shoe without pooling, and shorts come down to your preferred inseam. Freedom of movement matters more than a tight fit for anything active.
Are stretch fabrics worth it in bottoms?
For anything active, yes. A little elastane lets pants and shorts move with you when you hike, climb, bend and reach, which makes a real comfort difference over a rigid fabric. Stretch also helps the fit feel right across a range of body shapes. Most modern outdoor bottoms include some stretch, and once you have worn it, non-stretch bottoms tend to feel restrictive for active use.
How do I find my waist and length size?
Measure your waist around where the trousers actually sit, not where a tape falls loosely, and for length measure your inseam from crotch to ankle, then check the brand's size chart. Sizing varies between brands, so use the numbers rather than assuming. If you are between sizes, consider the fit style, slimmer cuts suit sizing carefully, relaxed cuts are more forgiving, and rely on our easy returns to fine-tune.
How do I care for technical bottoms?
Wash them cool on a gentle cycle, do up any zips and hook closures first, and skip fabric softener, which clogs technical and water-resistant fabrics. Air dry where possible, as high heat wears out stretch and any weatherproof finish. For water-resistant pants, a warm tumble or a top-up proofing product revives the finish when water stops beading. Gentle care keeps the fit and performance for years.