Muay Thai Shorts vs Boxing Shorts vs Kickboxing Shorts: What's the Difference?
Short answer: Muay Thai shorts are short, wide-legged and split at the sides so you can kick and knee freely. Boxing shorts are longer and looser with a high waistband, because boxers only punch. Kickboxing shorts sit in between, and in most gyms they're simply Muay Thai shorts. If your class involves kicks, choose Muay Thai or kickboxing shorts. If it's punches only, women's boxing shorts are made for that.
Quick comparison
| Muay Thai shorts | Kickboxing shorts | Boxing shorts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Short, mid-thigh | Short to mid-thigh | Longer, mid-thigh to knee |
| Leg opening | Very wide, side splits | Wide | Loose, straight |
| Waistband | Thick elastic | Elastic | High |
| Built for | Kicks, knees, clinch | Kicks and punches | Punching and footwork |
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Muay Thai shorts
Muay Thai uses kicks, knees, elbows and clinching, so the shorts need to get out of the way. The wide legs and side splits let you throw a high roundhouse or a teep without fabric pulling at your thighs. Traditional Thai shorts are cut for slim men's hips, which is why many women find they ride up, gape or feel too tight on the thighs.
Our women's Muay Thai shorts are cut with a smaller waist and extra wide hips, a thick, stretchy and gentle-on-the-skin waistband, and built-in safety shorts with an anti-camel-toe panel and pockets.
Another signature factor of Muay Thai Shorts is the iconic look of Thai Shorts, which were traditionally made with shiny polyester fabrics, bright colours and large embroidered patches of thai words or thai designs.
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Kickboxing shorts
"Kickboxing" covers a few styles. In K-1 and Dutch-style kickboxing, most people wear Muay Thai shorts because the movements are the same: kicks, knees and punches. In some cases, shorts marketed specifically for kickboxing tend to be less "loud" in design vs Muay Thai Shorts, and generally exclude the traditional Thai elements that are specific to Muay Thai. For most women training kickboxing in a gym, Muay Thai shorts are an easy choice since they work the same functionally. See our Muay Thai and kickboxing collection for shorts, bras and wraps that work for both.
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Boxing shorts
Boxing shorts are traditionally longer and looser and with a higher waistband. In competition the waistband marks the belt line, and anything below it is a foul. Because there's no kicking, boxing shorts don't need side splits but can still be optimised for leg movement to ensure full capacity for footwork which tends to be much more complex and fast paced vs Muay Thai or Kickboxing.
Our boxing shorts, like the Hera and Theia styles, keep the same women's fit as our Muay Thai shorts: high waistband, wide hips and inner safety shorts. Shop our collection of Boxing Shorts.
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Can you wear Muay Thai shorts for boxing?
Yes, absolutely! For training, Muay Thai shorts work fine for boxing. The only real difference is style and, in amateur boxing competition, the rules. If you compete, check what your federation requires.
Can you wear boxing shorts for Muay Thai?
Yes, if you're not wearing competition style boxing shorts (which tend to be longer). As long as the Boxing Shorts are comfortable and allow freedom of leg movement, they work just fine!
FAQ
What shorts do you wear for kickboxing?
Most people wear Muay Thai shorts for kickboxing. They're short, wide-legged and allow full kicking range.
Why are Muay Thai shorts so short?
So nothing restricts your kicks and knees. The short length and side splits give full hip mobility.
Are women's Muay Thai shorts different from men's?
Ours are. They have a smaller waist, wider hips and built-in safety shorts. Read more in how women's Muay Thai shorts differ from men's.
Do Muay Thai shorts have anything underneath?
Traditional Thai shorts don't. Athena shorts have built-in inner shorts with pockets, so you don't need extra tights / compression shorts.
What size Muay Thai shorts should I get?
For Athena shorts, choose your normal sports shorts size and size up if you are between sizes. You can use our Size Guide here to check for your best size based on your waist and hip measurements.