Fantasy Fitness Fashion: Nike Leggings

Now that I’m starting to slim down again, I’ve started getting into leggings. Unfortunately, leggings just seem absurdly overpriced with most brands. I don’t get it! Nevertheless, just because I’m not ballin’ doesn’t mean I can’t dream, right?

Earlier this week, I was scrolling through my bloglovin’ feed, and came across this killer upper body workout from Nicole over at Pumps and Iron. Now, I acknowledge that I should’ve just paid attention to the workout (and probably should’ve actually attempted the workout), but I can’t deny that I didn’t. Instead, I became fascinated by the leggings she was wearing, and thus, down the rabbit hole I went…

(Climbing onto soapbox…) I very, very rarely buy Nike brand anything, I must admit. I’ve been this way since the 90s, when Nike was constantly in the news for their sweatshops and other poor labor practices. I always felt icky about it, though my attitude has changed quite a bit over the last two decades. I did end up buying a nice zip-up hoodie from them back in December of this year, because I do believe that they are putting a lot of work into correcting these practices, and have really turned the company around. The reality, though, is that they’re still way too expensive for my taste. There’s a Nike outlet at a nearby mall, and sometimes I will find something reasonably priced, but it’s not terribly common. ::Sigh:: I guess I’ll just have to stick to fantasizing about their badass active wear. (Climbing back down to solid ground…)

I absolutely LOVE these leggings:

Nike Legend 2.0 Tight Print Leggings, $75 on nike.com (Source)

They’re so fun! Plus, the darkest part of the print is in the butt and thighs, so I wouldn’t look like I was part of a Magic Eye book where the hidden image is a gigantic rear end. Fun! I’m still nervous about wearing funky prints on the bottom since I’ve got a big butt and I cannot lie, but my shrinking waistline has made me less self-conscious about it.

While I love full-length leggings, I’m also digging on some of the cropped leggings. These yellow, cropped, compression leggings are pretty cool. I like compression leggings because they seem to hold things in place better, and I don’t usually have to deal with pulling them up every five seconds, or Drooping Legging Crotch Syndrome.

I also really like these, which I’ve actually seen in stores:

Nike Pro Printed Hyperwarm 2, $65 on nike.com (Source)

I never had the courage to try them on before, but I just might have to the next time I’m in a store that carries them, you know, for science.

Have you ever tried Nike leggings? Which brand makes your favorite leggings? Do you like prints or solid colors?