Australian Hiker

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Dirty Girl Gaiters Review

If you wander around the outdoor stores, you could be mistaken thinking that women who hike have no style…. There is obviously a need for practicality but who said style and practicality can’t go together?  Well Dirty Girl says both go together!

If you’ve had enough of choosing between khaki or steel grey or worse, pink (because that’s what girls like – apparently), then look no further.  These gaiters are lightweight, practical and so colourful they are outrageous fun!

My friend and I wear Dirty Girl Gaiters – I have Run Til You Dye and she wears Bean There, Done That.  We have very different shoe sizes – I’m a 9.5 in Altra and she is a 6 – but we both wear a medium size to suit our ankles.  That is one of the big catches – as Dirty Girl says, size does matter.  So make sure you match both your shoe size and your ankle size.

These gaiters are made from a combination of polyester and lycra.  That means they are super lightweight, durable and stretchy – giving you the best fit.

Dirty Girl Gaiters come with a hook at the front to attach to your laces or if you wear Altra hikers (which come gaiter-ready) you’ll hook into the attachment at the base of the laces.  The back of the gaiters has one half of a Velcro fastener, which fit neatly into the Altra Gaiter Trap or you can stick on the other half of the Velcro (extra Velcro is included in packet) to your existing hikers.

I used the Dirty Girl Gaiters on the five-day Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail and they were fantastic!  They did an expert job keeping dirt, grit and small stones out of my Altra hiking shoes.  When I removed my shoes at the end of each day and peered inside to see what I had collected along the way, I was pleasantly surprised to see nothing!  And they even kept the white sand of Maupertuis Bay out as we trudged through the deepest and softest sand ever.

At the end of the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail these gaiters were looking pretty grubby.  When I got home, I soaked then washed them to get them back to their original glory.  Not too much effort given I had to soak a few other items too.

If you go to the Dirty Girl website you’ll learn that Xy Weiss, the Dirty Girl founder, ‘uses all profits from this dirty business to “pay forward” and “pay back”, donating to worthy non-profit causes, charity based ultramarathons and trail events, and dozens of athletes who promote the Dirty Girl energy and spirit’.  A terrific added bonus and further reason to get your Dirty Girl on!

So if you like practicality and style, you can’t go past Dirty Girl Gaiters.  But be warned, you won’t want to stop at one pair!

We Like

• The polyester and lycra construction means they are so lightweight
• The front hook and Velcro fastenings at the heel ensure they stay in place
• The colour range is fantastic
• The size range is extensive from XS to Dang!
• They wash up like new

We Don't Like

• Be aware you’ll need to strike a balance between the size that suits your foot and your ankle size
• These gaiters are hard to spot in some stores so you might have to ask the staff
• Most Australian stores only stock S, M, L, and XL. Tough luck if like Tim you need size ‘Dang’!
• A little on the expensive side but worth it for the comments you’ll get

Best Uses

• Great for sandy or dusty trails to keep muck out of your low profile shoes

Dirty Girl Gaiters. Lairy colours are easy, plain colours are hard

Buy a Pair

Aussies can purchase the Dirty Girl Gaiters online from  Dirty Girl Gaiters or from Paddy Pallin

Disclosure:  We don’t early any commission from this product we just like them

Investment

AUD $59.95 RRP

Other Versions

• The Dirty Girl Gaiters come in six sizes XS, S, M, L, XL and Dang! – choose the size that best fits both your shoe and ankle size
• Altra also produce a similar gaiter but without the lairy colours

Dirty Girl Gaiters will usually hook onto the front set of laces on a set of shoes however Altra shoes come with a gaiter loop to make this easy. Other brands of shoes may also do this as well

Velcro ‘Gaiter Trap’ on Altra shoes means these gaiters work straight out of the packet with this brand of shoe. These gaiters come with pieces of velcro to attach to other shoes. The velcro will hold the gaiters in place at the back of the shoe

Dirty Girl Gaiters side view

Love the colours

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker

Last updated

28 January 2024

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