oh boy did i feel like a sausage trying to get into these pants! It was a bit of a workout in itself haha (I am not a small person these days 5'2 ~215 lbs, after injuries and covid set me way back, just starting to get back into the swing of things, got an XL, thought length was fine), but they do give you a heads up that they need to be broken in and should be a bit better after a few wears and washes.. but also, you want them to be snug!
I have had knee issues for.. going on a decade. I was skeptical, but I bought a pair because.. why not, can't be worse than it already is. BOY was I impressed! I just tried them out, went on an easy-ish 2 mile hike with my dog to try them out, while it was mostly flat (<400 incline) we had a few scrambles.... NO knee pain what so ever! Immediately rushed back to the site to order two more pairs, did get one in the alpine, as I didn't wear anything over these on our hike and while I was fine, my butt did get a little chilly in the <40 degree weather! ;) so thought the fleece lining might help a bit for outdoor winter, especially as it gets colder! In LOVE with these pants! Can't wait to try them out on longer/steeper hikes and to be able to push myself a bit more without the constant knee pain <3