Poll: Are Convertible Pants Awesome, Dorky, Both, or Neither?

After wrestling with some of the biggest issues of our time, this week the AJ reader poll takes a breather and wrestles with one of the smaller: What’s your take on zip-off pants? For some, they have never been in favor. For others, always. And what’s interesting, from a social currency standpoint, is that they’re having their day in the sun with the young and hip. Yes, convertible pants are hot right now. So hot.

Here are few of the reviews for Columbia’s Silver Ridge convertible pants from Amazon:

…I’m 26 years old. I was afraid I’d be judged and ridiculed by my peers for purchasing and overusing pants that turn into shorts. To be honest, I stopped listening to my friends after the first criticism because I was in paradise wearing these glorious pants. When I’m in these bad boys, I feel like I might as well just never take them off.

…I have to say, they are the most comfortable and durable pants I have ever worn. There are no cons to these pants, except that I only have one pair. They are light, cool, and good looking. I am sure most people here bought them for hiking, which is totally awesome. But for everyday use, these pants are amazing. They come with a belt system too, so you do not ever have to wear a regular belt with buckles stabbing you constantly.

…They may not be the most stylish, but they are the ideal pants for traveling with a carry-on only and for hiking. The darker colors don’t show the zippers as much, and these pants don’t make any swishy sounds when he walks.

Wait, they don’t make swishy sounds?

The amazing thing is that the most popular critical review would have given the pants five stars, but the crotch was too tight. Everyone loves these pants (and maybe the issue here isn’t the pants, but that’s a poll for another day). What about you?

WIN SMITH SUNGLASSES JUST BY VOTING
This week, one poll participant will receive Smith Optic’s Dockside sunglasses. We’ll pick the winner via random number generator (and announce it here) – all you have to do to enter is vote and leave a comment so we have your email to contact you. Must have a U.S. or Canadian address. Contest ends Sunday, September 18, 2016, at midnight PST.

Photo by Mike Day