REVIEWS
18 Reviews
Alissa
Comfy and lightweight, but didn’t last one short season in the Sierra. cords got chewed up and are not easily replaceable.
Anna
I bought this from a local gear store in my area as my first ankle gaiters, even as a really experienced hiker I had just never added them to my kit. I wore them with a pair of Hoka speedgoats. I went to do a 20 mile hike on Labor Day, with 18/20 miles being over flat non rugged trail, and 2 of the miles being straight up and down a granite slide. These gaiters got absolutely obliterated. With 5 miles left, I fully ripped one the grommets out of the gaiters, rendering it unusable for the rest of the hike, and I’m not sure I can ever repair them well enough to a point where I could take them any where that isn’t flat packed trail (maybe repairable with a tacking machine or sewing machine with a similar setting, but I’m not even sure). I couldn’t even tell what the gaiter caught on, snagging on something wicked tiny. Once I got home and inspected them, I realized I was both bottom foot cords where in bad shape, and were really torn up. I probably would’ve been breaking them on the next hike I went on. I get that our rocks and trails in NH are pretty rugged, but I was expecting these to last more then one hike. I gravitated towards these gaiters because they looked a bit more sturdy then other options on the market. They fit okay, and did a good job of keeping dirt and water out while they were usable, but I couldn’t imagine relying on these for longer distances or multi day pursuits. I love a lot of other Black Diamonds Gear, but these did not pass the test. If I hadn’t of bought them from a small gear shop that I don’t mind giving money too, I would’ve absolutely put up the stink to return them.
Alan G.
Easy to use/attach. Stays in place without any rechecking or refastening. Doesn’t let in even the smallest rock or other irritant. I put it on at the start of my run and don’t think about it again until I’m back at my car.
Michael G.
Best gaiters I've found for long distance trail running. Durable construction, comfortable fit, great attachment. This is the 4th different pair of gaiters I've sought out for running trail ultras, if that's what your seeking - look no further.
Eric C.
Took me a while to figure out how to put them on. Add great coverage to the ankle area and laces. I have only used them once so far, but it looks like the bottom white strap will probably get torn eventually, all depends on the type of terrain it gets exposed to. I hope Black Diamond made this strap replaceable.
Dominique S.
After trying several different brands and having trouble finding gaiters that didn’t feel super tight around the calf and that felt durable for even the most rugged trails, I landed on these and will never look back!
Evan F.
Incredibly small gaiter. The sizing chart was difficult to find and not accurate. (Plus BD shorted me a carabiner in my order.) On the positive side, it is well designed. If you have small feet and order a large maybe it will fit.
George M.
They work well in most situations but I've had issues with my approach low cut sneakers.. they slide up too easily and let snow in.. with ankle high boots they are hard to put on...
R H.
I've tried all the rest, these are the best! I must walk funny or whatever, but I seem to kick up rocks, dirt, sand and everything else into my shoes. They fit perfectly, breath amazingly, and are durable like steel, simply put, they will exceed your expectations! I use them in the winter in snow, in the summer in sand and everything in between. I primarily use them for hiking, backpacking and alpine climbing. Worth every penny you'll spend, even at retail.
Alex L.
Too soon to see how durable it is, especially the arch cord, but seem solid and fit well and easy
Ethan F.
Bought them to keep the snow out of my shoes on winter trail runs and they work perfectly for that. Was initially hesitant about the way they velcroed but have had zero issues, look forward to using them for summer trail runs and long hikes as well!
Morgan
I bought these a while ago and was really excited about them, but the first race I used them in was also their last. Run, Rabbit, Run 100 was wet and wild this year. The Steamboat ski area had recently torn up the ground on the first big, very steep climb, so I decided to use these gaiters to keep dirt and rocks from filling my shoes on the early uphill. They worked great and I made it to the top without any hitchhikers. As I got to the less steep hills in the first section of the race we got overtaken by a dense cloud and cold temperatures, shortly followed by some precipitation. I kept these on and my feet stayed much drier than they would have been without them. The uphill ended, single track rollers took over, then the most technical section of the trail came next, first with downhill, then the same way back up, with a brief (~0.5 mi) road section. Single track back up led to forest service road, and after taking that for a few miles, I noticed that the thread wrapping under the sole of my shoe had snapped on my left gaiter. At the next aid station (~30 mi) I looked at the other one and it was pretty frayed as well. I kept them on for another ~15 mi till I met with my crew and dropped them off before continuing the race. I ran through a couple more showers without them and definitely noticed the wetter feet, but I preferred it to the gaiter starting to move and make some blisters - My left ankle has some towards the top that I didn't actually notice during the race, but they line up with the seam of the gaiter who's thread had broken. I'm glad I took these off when I did or they could have impeded the race. I can't say where these broke, but I wore them on just about every type of terrain aside from deep dune-y sand and had this result. I was wearing some high stack shoes (Hoka Tecton's) so that may have also contributed since the thread felt pretty tight as I put them on. All in all I really liked these while they lasted. It would be nice to see them made with either a burlier strap or a different way of attaching to the shoe that could keep them from moving if that strap breaks.
Robyn C.
Great for keeping snow and mud out of the top of runners. They fit nice and tight. The Velcro does snag the fabric though, so care is needed when putting them away.
Raymond M
I wear a mens size 9 shoe and ordered the s/m. These will not fit around any of my shoes and they barely fit around my bare foot. I believe the sizing chart on BD's website says S=7-8.5, M=8.5-10, L=10.5-12, and XL=12+, but maybe I read the chart wrong. They're really light and they might work really well, I'll just never know because I can't put them on. Oh well.
enricomi
Just like another reviewer mentioned the white strap that goes underneath the shoe is seriously worn out after just one weekend of hiking! What were they thinking?? I assumed that the material would have been something super strong like dyneema or it would be coated in some way but no.
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