Altra  Trail Gaiters

I'm not a runner but aside from the obvious benefit of preventing sticks, pebbles, etc. from getting in your shoes while hiking or even working @ some jobs. For me this is about DEER TICK deterrence. Another tool in my quest to make going for even a short walk not a life threatening or changing activity. I hate spraying 90%+ Deet on my but nothing else seems to have any effect. I use cheap socks pulled over the cuffs of my LIGHT COLORED pants. I then secure it w/duct tape & a bit of Deet sprayed on the area. These lightweight & short trail gaiters are just what I needed. Us New Englanders really need to take Lyme Disease(& other tick-borne illnesses) seriously.

These work with any shoe that has the velcro tab on the heel. I use them with Brooks trail runners (sorry, they just fit my fussy toes). They keep the foxtails and pebbles out of my socks and shoes when hiking or trail running. The foxtails get caught in my double layer socks and are difficult to remove even through the wash. I'e had no issues with anything getting caught in these gaiters. And they're cool. I forget I'm wearing them until I look down to take them off. As far as I'm concerned, these should just be connected to my socks. Only issue is the black look goofy with light colored shoes and pale legs so I'm getting the orange and gray. Orange is good for visibility.

I recently wore these on an adventure through the 100 mile wilderness in Maine. I had higher hopes that wearing them with a pair of altra shoes (king mt.) would yield a better fit than they provided. The front hooks would never stay on for more than a few minutes. The gaiter trap worked very well and was the only thing that probably helped keep debris out of my shoes. I wouldn’t recommend these.

This gaiter is easy to take on and off (at least on the Altra shoes its made for) and offers good coverage. It has held up well, the only issue being that some of the graphics started to flake/deteriorate early on, but in the end thats merely a cosmetic issue.

These are super lightweight and easy to use, which is great... But they could be much much better. I got these to go over my Lone Peak 4 RSMs. I wear a 10.5, and the gaiter sizer says I should have a L/XL. My right front hook kept coming undone, and in general these feel looser than they should be around the shoe.they slid down a lot as well, so at times created a little shelf where debris could sit on the gaiter above shoe. Keeping it out, but still creating annoyance around the ankle. Side note, that I wish Altra had a gaiter available with 4 attachment points, as the shoe has 4 points available.

The hook clasp keeps coming undone on both shoes rendering the gaiters useless. I tried taping them together and finally went with another brand. I do like the integrated velcro on the heal.

Realy 4 stars for use on Altra (trail only) shoes, zero stars for ALL other shoes. They do not work at all on any shoe that doesnt have the velcro gaiter trap on the heal, i.e. any non Altra shoe. Without having the velcor to hold the back down it quickly works its way above the top of the shoe, defeating the purpose. It is an Altra product, for their shoes, if you stay within those bounds its an okay product, comfortable but not particularly durable an not much good in heavy due, rain, or snow.

I competed in an obstacle course race on Saturday and kept getting rocks in my shoes, which was uncomfortable and time consuming to dump out. I stopped by the REI store to get these gaiters to use for Sunday's race. It was a game changer! I got absolutely no rocks in my shoes, which made the race an even better experience. You do need to use trail shoes that have the velcro in the back.

The fit is great. I wore them with my size 8.5 womens Lone Peaks and they were so comfortable that at some point I forgot that I had gaiters on. Unfortunately, my first run in them was also my last, as I ended up with a whole in one. I didn't exactly get caught in anything, so I didn't think there was any level of debris I'd crossed that would have resulted in a hole. I might try to patch up the hole and attempt to run in them again, but who knows when I'll have time to get around to it. I wouldn't pay full retail price for them again.