There is no doubt that styles change drastically from decade to decade and sometimes even from year to year. Workout or athletic wear is no different, though every once in a while a good design will fade away only to come back with a bang later on. The Dolphin shorts are a prime example of this phenomenon. Once very popular as exercise wear in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dolphin shorts disappeared from high school and college track teams but eventually made a comeback.

These used to be seen as great sports shorts. Whether used for swimming practice or as general shorts for track and field events, the Dolphin shorts were extremely popular because they showed off a lot of leg, giving athletes great freedom of movement. The less constrained athletes felt, the better they could perform.

These shorts were also often featured in exercise videos of all kinds, from aerobics to more intensive exercises and workout videos. Richard Simmons made this style of shorts very popular and is well known for wearing them in virtually all of his workout videos. There are some mixed stories as to how they were originally worn or what they were intended for, but whether for swimming or track, there was little argument that the freedom of movement made them great uniforms for many high school and college track teams.

However, there was some controversy with these clothes, the main one being that they showed a lot of leg. To the point where eventually many high schools decided that they were allowing students to show too much leg and that it was inappropriate. As many high schools in the United States banned them from the dress code, the style faded, eventually abandoning even fitness and gym circuits.

However, around 2007 or 2008, these simple yet stylish shorts came back with a bang. While the original designs were almost always solid color and simple, modern dolphin shorts designs can go either way. Some follow the original simple designs, while others have more decorative color schemes or patterns.

Now dolphin shorts are once again a very common sight in gyms. These are very popular and the modern style is not so picky about how much leg is showing. These are comfortable training clothes that allow the freedom of movement necessary to get the most out of your training.

While these apparel may not be for everyone, it’s safe to say the Dolphin shorts are here and back to stay.