Kahtoola INSTAgaiter Low: Ultimate Protective Gear for Trail Adventures Review

Tried both sizes and definitely needed a L/XL for my size 8 lightweight womens hiking boots. The S/M would fit runners but were too low to wear over the boot to wear. The plus size worked great for keeping dirt and dust off my boots, and the adjustable ankle cuff didn't chafe or feel tight. I even forgot they were on and drove home with them!

I bought these to prepare for a rocky/dusty 100m. Tested them 2 times on longer runs and everything is great. But on race day, when I changed my socks for the first time, I just couldn't put them back on. The zipper is too small so even a little bit of dust or something else makes it impossible to close it. So I just throw them in my bag and finish the race without them. If you have serious use in mind, don't buy it (even fit!).

These are *great* and I highly recommend them, especially for hiking in sandy areas. The only problem is that the zipper is very cheap and none of the zippers work properly. I have to start at the collar of the boot with the zipper, work hard to make it work, and then place it on the boot. Taking it off is the same: I have to take it off with the zipper still closed and then work with the zipper for a while to unzip it. I'm not sure how long the zippers will last before they break completely…

First of all, these gaiters are perfect for what they do - protecting shoes from dirt while still being breathable. They appear to be very well constructed in every way, save for two design flaws. The zipper doesn't always stay in place even if you pull it "down", dirt makes the zipper more sticky. Most importantly, the seams on the sole are easy to unzip. They connected a piece of plastic directly to the fabric with just one row of stitches. To fix this I used super glue to coat the threads to

-- Updated 1/28/2021 ---When I brought my first pair on 2nd December 2019 and wrote a follow up review they really helped me keep the zipper from the manufacturer. It seems like you just need to make sure the zipper pull tab is facing down and locking the zipper. Great product support so far. Let’s now come to winter 2020. When I was photographing the INSTAgaiter at home, one of the zippers in my hand had just come loose. I only use them in the snow and haven't been able to use them more than a