The Best Shorts for the Dog Days of Summer

August is coming in hot—literally. While you were busy pretending June would last forever, the mercury crept past “uncomfortable” and landed squarely in “existential crisis.” Your jeans are now medieval torture devices. Your chinos? Sweat saunas with belt loops. And that last-minute Mykonos trip you just panic-booked? Yeah, those cargo shorts from 2003 aren’t cutting it.

Here’s the thing about summer’s final act: it demands respect. The sun hits different when it’s 95 degrees and the subway platform feels like Satan’s waiting room. You need to wear shorts that work harder than your excuses for leaving work early. Shorts that can survive a rooftop party in Williamsburg, a wedding in the Hamptons and still look presentable when you’re sweating through security at Newark.

We’ve assembled more than a dozen pairs that understand the assignment—from under-$100 workhorses that’ll outlive your lease to Italian numbers that cost more than your monthly car lease. Each one solves a specific problem: the meeting-to-marina pivot, the “I definitely work out” deception, the European vacation cosplay. Because when the city turns into a convection oven and your August calendar looks like a game of social Tetris, the right shorts aren’t just clothing, they’re warm-weather survival gear. Below, 15 pairs to add to your shopping cart.