I recently bought a pair of wool shorts because they were cheap when Ibex went under. There are a couple of companies that still make wool shorts. I think they would have lasted longer with artificial chamois, that seemed to be the problem that started all the holes. But when lycra first came out, it definitely was a big improvement for hot weather. Given that hot weather lasts 4-5 months in the northeast, it seems like wool would work well over most of the year.