Foreign Trade's black athletic shorts are a $7.46 Weidian find, SKU 7720570468, listed as a straight-leg five-point (mid-thigh) short in polyester with slight stretch, in sizes M to 3XL and four colourways. What the listing does not hand you is a weight, a waist figure or an inseam. That is why this review exists. At this price the garment is rarely the problem; the paperwork around it usually is.
How we ordered and what we checked
Our testing team placed the shorts twice: black in M through USFans, black in 2XL through Kakobuy, both at $7.46 against a listed original of $8.51. Both are marked in stock. Each parcel went through the same routine. We waited for the warehouse photo set, checked it against the listing line by line for measurements, colour, hardware, labels and packaging, asked for a re-shoot wherever a frame was unclear, and logged how long the agent took to answer. Then we requested a repack, weighed the box on our bench scale and compared that figure with the agent's volumetric number, rounded to the nearest 10 g.
The photo set, line by line
| Check | What the listing claims | What the photo set showed |
|---|---|---|
| Silhouette | Straight leg, five-point length | Confirmed: straight side seam, hem well above the knee on both sizes |
| Waist | Drawstring waist | Confirmed: elastic channel with a flat woven cord, heat-sealed tips, no metal aglets |
| Fabric | Polyester, slight stretch | Matte weave; the care label names polyester only and no elastane percentage |
| Colour | Black | Reads charcoal in warehouse lighting; needed a daylight frame to settle |
| Details | Script lettering plus small patches on the lower legs | Confirmed on front script and both lower-leg patches |
| Packaging | Not stated | Poly bag, no hangtag, no brand card |
Three re-shoot requests, three reply times
The first set landed in the warehouse queue quickly and reached us after a short wait, but two frames were unusable: the waistband stitching was lost in shadow and the reverse of the leg patch was never photographed. We asked for both. The first re-shoot came back the next working day and answered the stitch question. The second request, a daylight frame of the black shell next to a white reference, took noticeably longer and was the slowest part of the whole order. We record these waits rather than averaging them, because a slow re-shoot is the difference between catching a size problem at the warehouse and catching it after an international line has already been paid for.
Weight: the 0.00 kg field against our scale
The listing's weight field reads 0.00 kg, which is not a measurement, it is a placeholder. On our bench, the repacked M pair came in at 218 g and the 2XL at 246 g. The agent's volumetric figure for the 2XL parcel was 0.42 kg using declared dimensions of 26 × 20 × 6 cm; our tape measured the same parcel at 26 × 20 × 4 cm. The gap between the declared volumetric weight and our scale reading, rounded to the nearest 10 g, was 170 g. On a single pair that is noise. On a six-pair rehearsal box it becomes a real line item, so ask the agent to re-measure dimensions rather than trusting a default carton profile.
What the cut actually does
Five-point is a length, not a fit. Both pairs sit mid-thigh with a straight leg opening that does not taper, and the slight stretch in the polyester is enough to matter when you sit but not enough to change your size. We ran twenty passes with a dry thumb across the front script and the lower-leg patches; neither lifted or chalked. The drawstring held its knot through a cold wash and a line dry. What we cannot tell you is long-term durability, because two pairs and a few wear days do not establish it.
The cheapest garment in a parcel is rarely the cheapest line item on the invoice. Measure before you consolidate.
Where the listing argues with itself
- Season. One field reads summer 2025, a second reads summer 2024, so treat the drop date as unconfirmed.
- Brand. The title says Foreign Trade; the specification sheet names the factory brand Chensida. Expect a factory-source garment, not a licensed one.
- Stretch. The description promises slight stretch; the care label names polyester with no elastane percentage. Ours stretched, but that is a sample of two.
- Colour. Four colourways are listed, yet every image is the black pair. White, orange and green are unphotographed, and the title names black specifically.
What we would do before paying
- Message the agent for flat waist, hip and inseam figures on the exact size you want; the listing publishes none.
- Ask for one daylight frame of your chosen colour beside a neutral reference.
- Ask for the reverse of both leg patches and a close frame of the waistband channel.
- Request re-measured parcel dimensions at repack, then compare with the volumetric figure before you consolidate.
None of that is exotic, and none of it costs extra at most agents. It does take a day or two, and the pair that arrives will still be a $7.46 factory short with a straight cut and a legible script print. Judge it on that basis and the listing holds up; judge it on unstated measurements and it will not.
How long should a QC re-shoot request take?
In our order the first re-shoot returned the next working day; a daylight colour frame took considerably longer. Ask your agent for a turnaround estimate before you rely on a re-shoot to beat a consolidation cut-off.
Is the black pair actually black?
Warehouse lighting pushed the shell toward charcoal in our first frames, and a daylight photo settled it. If you are matching black pieces, request one daylight frame beside a white reference before you ship.
Why does the listing show 0.00 kg?
It is an unfilled placeholder, not a measurement. Our repacked pairs weighed 218 g and 246 g on the bench, while the agent's volumetric figure for the larger parcel read 0.42 kg. Ask for re-measured dimensions at repack.