Tight, form-fitting athletic shorts composed of nylon and Spandex that reach about mid-thigh.
The primary purposes of bike shorts are to compress muscles (particularly the groin and thighs), prevent chafing, help remove sweat, keep muscles warm, and keep male genitals in place. There are two similar appearing types of these, compression shorts and bike shorts. Both types may be used without underwear, depending on if they were designed to act as underwear.
On Danbooru, the most common version depicted are compression shorts, which are used for a variety of sports and athletic activities. Compression shorts are similar to bike shorts, but aren't designed with biking in mind and thus lack things like padding to reduce discomfort from long rides. Compression shorts are sometimes used by some women to conceal their panties beneath their skirt, especially for those in women's sports where their uniform has a skirt, such as field hockey or lacrosse.
In Japan, these are also known as spats, and this meaning has spread across otaku spaces. If you were searching for the Jazz Age footwear, go to spats (footwear).
