I thought I was just being order-happy when I decided to purchase some gaiters to go with my new trail running shoes. I wasn’t convinced they would help at all on the trails where I live.

Recently I decided to try them out on a very slushy run. It was a really nutty day – tons and tons of snow followed by pouring rain. I spent two hours tramping through puddles and slushy snow. I was quite sure my gaiters (and shorts) would look ridiculous, but wasn’t sure they would work well. But they worked amazingly well!! I had also purchased waterproof running shoes without realizing it – coupled with gaiters – I was wet at the end but didn’t have puddles in my shoes. It was great!!

Here are my new trail shoes. Running shoes are so person-specific, but lately this Altra brand has been great for me – both a trail shoe and a road shoe. And here are the gaiters – designed to go with the shoe – with a velcro backing and a hook in the front.