Gym shorts are an article of clothing typical worn by people when exercising. They are typically made out of fabrics that allow for maximum comfort and ease, such as nylon. Brands such as Nike

Nike, Inc.

Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...

, Under Armour

Under Armour

Under Armour is an American sports clothing and accessories company. The company is a supplier of a wide range of sportswear and casual apparel mainly focusing on hi-tech sportswear for professional athletes...

, and Reebok

Reebok

Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...

 all make gym shorts. Cotton gym shorts were made popular by a cheerleading brand called Soffe

Soffe

M.J. Soffe LLC, better known as Soffe , is a brand name of apparel for youth and adults, specifically producing sportswear. It was founded in 1946 by M.J. Soffe. A common brand used by cheerleaders, Soffe produces shorts that are worn primarily by females...

. Gym shorts or sweatpants

Sweatpants

Sweatpants are a casual variety of soft trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes.In Britain, Australia and New Zealand they are known as "jogging bottoms" or "track pants".- Design :...

 are required for many junior high and high school physical education

Physical education

Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....

 courses.

While gym shorts were traditionally worn by men, from the late 1970s and onward, women began wearing them for better comfort at the gym as well as a modern fashion

Fashion

Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...

 trend.

Changes from short to baggy

Up until the late 1980s, men's gym shorts were very short. Knee-length shorts were rarely seen outside of safari park

Safari park

A safari park, sometimes known as a wildlife park, is a zoo-like commercial tourist attraction where visitors can drive in their own vehicles or ride in vehicles provided by the facility to observe freely roaming animals...

s.

The first time today's "baggy" or "bermuda" look was publicized was when Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...

 wore baggy shorts in the Nike commercial with Spike Lee

Spike Lee

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....

 in 1988. Another basketball team who emphasized today's men modern style, who were inspired by Michael Jordan, was the Fab 5 Wolverines

Fab Five

Fab Five may refer to:* Fab Five , the 1991 University of Michigan men's basketball freshman recruiting class* The Fab Five, a 2011 documentary on the above group.* Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal, a 2008 movie...

, who included Juwan Howard

Juwan Howard

Juwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...

, Chris Webber

Chris Webber

Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...

, and Jalen Rose

Jalen Rose

Jalen Anthony Rose is a retired American professional basketball player, who currently works as a sports analyst for the sports television network ESPN...

. After that, the look spread into other NBA

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 and other sports. The look quickly expanded into mainstream American culture, and baggy shorts soon replaced upper-thigh shorts outside the sportsworld.

Even as the short shorts became scarce in the NBA, John Stockton

John Stockton

John Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by...

 of the Utah Jazz

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 continued to wear them until his retirement in 2003. Also, during a hardwood classics night on December 31, 2007, the Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 wore the short shorts against their 1980s rival, the Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...

.

Today

Nowadays, gym shorts are worn by adolescents on a daily basis in the spring and summer months. While some boys prefer shorts that reach the calf, most wear shorts that stop at the knee or just above. The continued appeal of these shorts as warm weather wear has been said to be caused by their lightweight feel on the skin, which allows the constant flow of air up the wearer's legs, thus making the person more comfortable in warm weather. Many gym shorts have an inlay made of a comfortable fabric such as cotton

Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

, similar to swim shorts. These are designed to be worn without underwear. The pre-1990s short shorts remain the standard for men in running

Running

Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...

 activities.

Originally, gym shorts were worn by boys and men along with a jockstrap

Jockstrap

A jockstrap is an undergarment designed for supporting the male genitalia during sports or other vigorous physical activity...

 only underneath. Schools across the country required boys to wear a jock, also known as an athletic supporter, for all PE/gym activities. This provided protection from testicle torsion, from squishing them between the thighs, and for modesty purposes. Now-a-days, many boys and men wear boxers, compression shorts or standard underwear, although jockstraps are making a comeback.