Bold Gaiters

Yesterday I worked the Bort Meadows aid station at the Dick Collins Firetrails 50 Mile Run and Golden Hills Marathon. There were 244 runners in the 50-miler and about 114 in the marathon. All day I watched the runners come through the aid station. They ate some food and refilled their water bottles. The weather was great, but we had had a lot of rain the day before. The trails had drained well and I saw only a few muddy shoes. But as usual, I saw a lot of dirty shoes and socks. I especially watched for runners wearing gaiters. They were in the minority.
     Of those wearing gaiters, most were doing the 50-miler. Even then, I’d guess that less then 20 percent of the runners wore gaiters.
     Gaiters are an important for trail runners, and for that matter, hikers, adventure racers, and even walkers. They cover the top of the shoe and prevent debris from going inside the shoe. It is this debris, getting between the shoe and sock, which leads to hot spots and blisters. A simple pair of gaiters can help prevent problems.
     For my money, I like the gaiters made by Chrissy Weiss, called Dirty Girl Gaiters. Chrissy has a lock on gaiters that make a statement. They are bold and colorful. They are in-your-face patterns that inspire. Most of the runners yesterday wore Chrissy’s gaiters. They are made from soft, comfortable four-way stretch spandex unisex with gaiter hooks under the front shoe lace and secures to the back of the shoe with a self-adhesive Velcro strip. They are dirt-cheap for $13 per pair, including postage.
     And, yes, guys are wearing them too. A lot of guys.