Cortech The Ventura Black Jeans

I measured a selection of these jeans and found the waist size of the pants to measure out 1” to 2” larger than the stated size. Most men’s jeans will be sized this way these days…. it’s called vanity sizing. Since these jeans are vanity sized much like most other jeans, you’ll be choosing the same size you wear in other jeans.

If you want to double check sizing, you can measure your waist and/or measure the waist band of your favorite jeans. And then choose a size knowing the waist on these pants measures 1”-2” larger than stated size. The fabric blend has a good bit of polyester and Dyneema® so they probably won’t shrink much. The inseam on these jeans measures out as stated.

The overall cut is as Cortech describes. I’d call it a slim fit, and probably not as slim fit as many pants these days. They fall somewhere in between slim and regular cut especially if you are comparing them to a trimmer European cut pant.

Need help measuring? Get it here..

The Ventura jean by Cortech feature reinforced denim fabric with a Kevlar lining to below the knee. Hip and knee armor can be added for impact protection.

Cortech calls the Ventura “relaxed slim-fit”. Huh? Personally, I think they fall somewhere between “standard” and “relaxed”, but I don’t see “slim fit” here. But don’t get me wrong… I am glad we are able to offer a more comfortable cut like this for those that enjoy it because so many of the men’s riding jeans are much more slim fit. Just to give you a frame of reference to compare to other pants in your closet, I have a pair of 36 waist pants here for review the thigh (just below the crotch seam) measures about 12” and the cuff end is about 7” (both measured when laid flat).

The fabric used in these jeans is a blend of cotton, polyester, and Dyneema fabric. The denim remains soft and comfy, but the blend makes them more abrasion resistant than plain denim. To add further protective capabilities, the jeans are fully lined with Kevlar fabric from the waist to just below the knee, so in those areas, you’ll have two layers of fabric between you and the pavement.

Like Cortech’s new Malibu Chino jeans which I just reviewed, these pants come with a shoelace for a belt! That’s right… just like your favorite pajama pants. But rather than being hidden inside the waistband, this shoelace is threaded through some “mini-loops” sewn just under the normal belt loops so you can show your shoelace to the world! So here you have the option of using the shoelace for comfort, or you can beef up your pants holding game with a regular belt! Just my two cents (since this is my aptly named review), I’d say: off the motorcycle, feel free to rock the shoelace, but I’d suggest a belt for use while on the bike since keeping your body parts located under the pants, safely covered may be beyond the abilities of a 25 cent shoelace.

You can add armor to both the knees and the hips. The knee armor is inserted into a pocket with an access zipper on the inside seam on the side of the each knee. The armor insert can be fitted into one of three pockets at the bottom end that will give you a “high-med-low” arrangement to give you the best fit when sitting on the bike. IMHO, the zipper location is a bit unfortunate for those that have prized paint on their bike, because the zipper pull might scratch (although it is a tiny one), but if you are concerned, you may want to remove the pull with some pliers.

Overall I like the looks of these pants, and with the combination of reinforced denim, Kevlar lining, and the armor option, I think they’ll provide a good measure of protection. :: Paul, 01-18-21