Best for Casual Trails

Ultimate Direction prides itself on designing running gear by runners, for runners. Because of the intentional design and construction, the security, durability, and ease of closure puts these gaiters at the top of our list. These secure to your shoe with a durable instep strap that has several length options, a front hook, and a wide hook-and-loop band on the side that makes them easy to take on and off without messing with your shoes.

These fit a wide range of shoes, from more minimal trail shoes to the full-squish maximalist models. They stay secure through the ankle, and the Cordura is highly abrasion-resistant.

These lightweight, breathable gaiters weigh just 2.6 ounces per pair, and are designed to fit securely without an under-shoe strap as long as you have a gaiter trap in the back and a place to hook the front. This means you can take your shoes off/put them on without taking the gaiters off, though you’ll want to be sure of the back security since you don’t have a bottom strap.

Altra shoes are built with the gaiter trap (a hook-and-loop patch) to attach to, along with a lace ring in the front, but even if your shoes don’t have the hook-and-loop at the heel, the gaiters come with a spare—just be sure your shoes are clean before applying, or the adhesive won’t last.

The REI Swiftland Running Gaiters come in four different sizes, with a generous range of dimensions. The small size is 6.25 inches long, with a top (ankle) circumference of 7 inches, and the XL is 7 inches long with a top circumference of 9 inches.

They have a lace hook that links to a lace ring or the bottom lace row, plus an elastic cord that slides between the lugs on the outsole. A toggle cord along the bottom cinches shut, and a silicone grip ring on the top helps keep them in place.

The Salomon Trail Gaiters come in a low model and high model. We like both, but the high model provides more protection from underbrush for a barely noticeable weight difference.

These gaiters are open, which means they wrap around your ankle and secure around the side with a hook-and-loop section instead of a tube that slides over your foot. This gives you loads of adjustment opportunities and means you can get the gaiters and your shoes on and off independent of one another.

The padded upper portion helps protect in underbrush, though we do wish there were more options for securing these to your shoes besides the under-shoe strap. More size options are available here.

Dirty Girl Gaiters are an underground favorite amongst long-distance hikers and runners. These gaiters are inexpensive, simple, and have a wild variety of patterns from foxes to donuts to your standard range of solids.

We also love the size range, from XS (women’s 6-7) to “Dang” (Men’s 13.5+, with a calf circumference of up to 12.5 inches.) There’s something for everyone! These are some of the lightest gaiters on the market, and weigh less than 2 ounces per pair.

With this low weight comes smaller attachment points and no side-closure features, so keep that in mind when making your choice.

Kahtoola is known for their traction devices, so they have a good understanding of rugged trails. Their series of running gaiters is super durable and abrasion-resistant, meaning they’ll protect your ankles from underbrush and keep the debris out of your shoes, no matter what the trail throws at you.

These have an easy-access full-length side zipper for easy removal, along with an instep strap and a front hook. These gaiters are 5 inches tall, which is shorter than others on the list, but Kahtoola offers the model in taller options, as well.

Not everything has to be highly technical! These fun gaiters are ideal for a casual outing, and come in an eye-catching array of graphics. We love these for casual in-town trails or dusty after-work adventures.

The Wapiti Designs Go-Long Gaiters have a hook-and-loop patch in the back, come with an additional patch for your shoe, and have a small front hook similar to the Dirty Girl gaiters. These slide over your foot, and don’t have any side closures to keep clean or adjust.

They come in two sizes, with the S/M fitting women’s sizes 7-11 and men’s sizes 6-9, and the L/XL fitting women’s sizes 11.5-13, men’s sizes 9.5-13.

These gaiters are made primarily of polyester, which makes them more water-resistant than others on this list. The top cuff acts as a sort of sock around your ankle, while the bottom part of the gaiter keeps splashing water off your shoes. The top clips can secure to the shoe itself, and the gaiters also come with a durable instep strap to secure around the bottom of the shoe.

The addition of nylon helps with softness and elasticity, but the bottoms of these won’t feel quite as soft or stretchy as other models.

These gaiters are skirting the line between running gaiters and the more classic wintery, snow-protection models. But for runners getting out in cold, sloppy conditions, these will provide the protection you need. The full side zip is angled to prevent rubbing against your skin with each step, and also helps keep your socks dry when taking these on and off. The gaiters can tighten at the top with a shock cord, but they don’t stay up quite as well as more elastic models.

The Gore-Tex means the material is fully waterproof, but as always, snow and slush can still seep in from the top or bottom.

Similar in design to the Salomon Trail Gaiters, these offerings from Triwonder are built to be wrapped around your ankle and down around your shoe. From there, they fasten with a secure hook-and-loop closure. This makes them convenient for taking on and off, as well as highly adjustable. They have a wide instep strap and a reinforced lace hook, along with reinforced stitching around the edge of the gaiter itself.

These hold up nicely against the name-brand competition, but they are slightly shorter in circumference, so if you wear them with boots, consider sizing up.