I have seen quite a lot of people with prosthetic legs. They look awesome, and I understand that the ownser would be quite proud of it. Is there a practical/technical reason for wearing shorts rather than pants with those legs?
Might be a hot day.
Why not?
I guess the only reason a double above-knee amputee might not wear shorts could be too keep his/her legs cool - but even then, there’s an airflow thing with shorts that you don’t get with longer trousers.
So I think the answer is: pretty much the same reasons anyone else wears shorts.
get some sun.
This is probably a case of confirmation bias. You see people with prosthetic legs every day wearing pants, but you don’t notice because you can’t tell. But when you see someone with a prosthetic leg wearing shorts, you can tell immediately, so it stands out, and you feel like most people with prosthetics must wear shorts.
Speaking as a left below-knee amputee, one reason would be because it’s easier to take the prosthesis off when you’re wearing shorts. I’ve been on time-restriction (I can wear it four hours on, one hour off) the last month or so and I’ve been wearing sweatshorts 99% of that time because it’s easier than having to take your pants down in the middle of the day. It’s also why I can’t go back to work until I’m on full-day wear again…can’t wear shorts to work and can’t take the leg off in public while wearing dress trousers.
Do you ever disconnect your prosthesis when you’re wearing long pants and ‘accidentally’ get knocked down by strangers and shout at them, 'Look what you’ve done to my leg, you bastard! :mad: ’
No…I don’t like falling.
If you wear shorts to a ball game, or to the beach, does your prosthesis get hot?
It does. It can get uncomfortable, but I’ve never actually been burned by it. There’s usually at least three layers (one of them fairly thick silicone) between the actual socket walls and my leg.
What kind of job do you have where they won’t accommodate to your wearing shorts for a few days or weeks? I think they should.
I work with the public (office job where I occasionally help a client face-to-face), so I can’t go TOO casual.
Not only SHOULD, but I would think that the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) would REQUIRE it.
Please, get a rubber leg, some ketchup, a camera…
I see athletic pants with zippered legs so you can turn shorts into long pants and vice versa. Maybe a tailor could do you a couple pairs of those. You’d only need one zip-off leg; shouldn’t be too difficult actually.
I bet he could wear a skirt. He’d have the ADA and GLAAD and the ACLU all at his back 
Or a short plaid skirt, which everyone will recognize as a kilt.
A good reason to wear shorts is in case you have to take the prosthetic off in a hurry. Walking on your stumps would be a problem with full pant legs getting in the way.
Especially if you’re Oscar Pistorius.
To Jayjay:
Ever been tempted to take off your leg and beat somebody with it?