Hi- at this point I had no takers, so I decided to try riding some more with the shorts I opened. While they definitely have the padding further back than in the old T-short or shebeest shorts, I realized that wasn't the source of my discomfort. After laundering, they felt fine, so I think they must come from the factory with some kind of chemical my body is sensitive too. I do have to be careful to use sensistive skin laundry detergents, etc., so this isn't too unusual for me. I am posting this so these shorts don't get a bad rap! In fact, I have to admit that I like the length and leg gripper on the terry short more than on the shebeest. Also the shebeest large is a tad big on me while the terry medium is just right (but shebeest medium is too small). So, don't be afraid to order these shorts because of my original post!!!-e