Gaiters - locally made..... Giveaway

I'd be happy to try out a pair out here in Eastern CDA

Just let me know where, how, how much, etc.

MERCI

Pierre Saint-Laurent

psl@assetcounsel.com

PS I like the killer 'Go Get 'em' skull pattern!

 I thought they performed very well. The feel is a little more snug than the Dirty Girl brand which help keeps the crap away. I wish there was another way than the velcro to attach them at the back but it's better than some wrap around strap that I've seen on some. Thumbs up.

Based on the tweets, CFA posts and Facebook posts, I have now selected the winners of the gaiter test drive. This has been done in a very scientific manner. Each entrant was assigned a number. Then, using the random generator, 2 were chosen.

The winners are  Tom Jennings from the Oil Creek 100 & Sibylle Tinsel. I will contact each of these runners / winners directly to coordinate getting them their own pair.

For those of you who did not win, I would love to make you a pair. I will start selling them soon. Contact me and we can arrange to get you a pair based on your needs and desires.

Please note that the first pair was worn by Gilles at Stormy. The reviews were excellent:

• These gaiters are a bit higher which really works well at not letting anythiing in the shoe. Thanks to these he did not get any blisters. (Ok, maybe the tape job I did before the race helped out a bit)

Ok, I tweeted, commented, listed some features and wrote a story just before the deadline....

Lucinda,

This is a great idea!

The gaiters I am currently using have a metal hook at the front that tends to destroy the Quicklace on my Salomon XTs.  It would be great if you could provide a different front hook option to use on Quicklace shoes.

Thanks!

Kirsten

Great idea!

I have used gaiters several times, but not lately.  (OK, I've not run a lot lately, so that's not a slag on gaiters...)  My Mom got them for me when she crewed for me at Western States 100.  As I have eased back into running of late, I've noticed more and more of the top trail runners in the Vancouver area wearing them.  Funny, I was just packing for the STORMY 50-miler tomorrow and thought I might pack the gaiters.

1.  Gaiter Functionality

In my view, the purpose of running gaiters (as opposed to climbing or other gaiters) is to keep crap (e.g. dust, pine needles, stones etc.) out of a runner's sox and shoes, thereby protecting said runner from blisters and other stuff to whine about during a run.

The gaiters my Mom got for me are simple as pie: 

• lightweight nylon material
• a thick nylon strap that goes under the shoe
• velcro closure around the ankle
• stretchy around the top so crap doesn't get in

I was always worried that the strap I ran on would give out.  This would be harsh, as this type of gaiter would then be rendered useless.  So far, it has held, but then again, they have been in hiding for several years.

The running gaiters I have don't include a way to lock down the front of the gaiter.  The ones you showed in the photo appear to offer this feature.

Another function of a gaiter that may be overlooked is prevention from bending down.  I hate to futz with my shoes during a race.  More often than not, it makes me cramp.  Not sure if gaiters will prevent shoe laces from coming undone?  I use barrel locks to keep my laces tight (holdover from triathlons.)  In any case, gaiters should allow quick access to laces, so something to consider in design.
 

2.  Gaiter Appearance

I love the ones with the skull and crossbones you showed in the photo!  They would match the hand-drawn skull and crossbones on the white Montrail hat I wear on big sun days.  It would be neat to be able to offer folks a custom design.  BTW, do those dusty, hairy legs in your photo belong to one of the "Fools"? 
 

3.  Gaiter Story

Well... a good gaiter story is probably no story at all, as the suckers should just work.  I'd be surprised to hear if gaiters got someone a date...  that would be a good marketing angle and a story I look forward to reading!

My story is simple:  I was about to run my first 100-miler.  My wife and my Mom were crewing for me.  The terrain (Western States Trail) was hot and dusty.  My Mom thought gaiters might help improve the odds of my finishing.  (She also got me one of those headbands that you can freeze, as well.)  She was right.  I didn't get crap in my shoes while wearing the gaiters.  Another benefit:  When I did change shoes during the race, I noticed that my feet were nice and pink rather than black from trail dust, as is normally the case.  Not sure if it was the gaiters or the excellent crew, but I made it to the finish!

Are these locally made by you???

What I would like to see gaiters have?

• funky patterns
• breathable, but water resistant
• easy on, easy off

Tweeting should be easy... but my favorite gaiter story, hm. Let's see what I can come up with by Sunday.