Inov-8 Product Review (Debris Gaiter and Debris Socks)

Living in a great trail running area and close to many miles of deciduous forests in central New York for the last five years I have found it necessary to invest in some debris gaiters to keep those pesky pebbles and other organic materials out of the shoes.

Inov-8 makes three different variations and I've tried all of them extensively. Let's take a look at the details:

The first one is the Debrisoc 38- This is my personal favorite of the three. I really like the anatomical design of the single-piece gaiter/sock. The Coolmax sock that is attached to the outer gaiter is very breathable and dries out quickly. Rubber fastening loops stretch under the shoe and fit nicely between the tread pattern "lugs" (especially in the Roclite series) and a sturdy hook pulls it toward your toe hooking securely on the shoelace. This makes it just about impossible for any foreign objects to enter. The down side is if you ever have to change socks the whole thing will obviously have to be switched out.

Next up...the Debrisoc 40- Same design at the debrisoc 38 but this product offers Merino Wool instead of Coolmax which provides extra warmth but still doesn't skimp on the fast wicking properties. I wore these throughout this past winter, which was by far the coldest I've experienced in five years, and the debrisoc 40's helped keep snow out and my feet warm. This is another product from Inov-8 that I highly recommend.

The last of the three gaiters offered by Inov-8 is the Debrisgaiter 32. This gaiter is just an outer gaiter rather than being connected to a sock like the previous two so it allows you to changes socks in a race if needed. Also, the material is a fast wicking, quick drying Double Water Repellancy treated product which is very obvious in wet conditions compared to the prior two gaiters. I have had problems in the past with these by having it ride up over the heel of my Roclite 285's. Still a pretty solid product.

*Note: One thing that I have noticed about these three products are the rubber fastening loops become weak and stretched out after time especially if you put them in the dryer on high heat. To prevent this from happening you can hang dry them to prolong the life and when they do finally go you can order more through the company and easily switch them out. I think Inov-8 does a great job with these and I am anxious to try out some of the socks as well.

You can find these products and many more great ones at Inov-8.com or by clicking HERE

On another topic I wanted to give a shout out to fellow ultra runner and friend Jack Pilla for winning The Vermont 100 this past weekend. I ran the first 25k with Jack on the 4th of July and knew he was in prime shape considering the miles he's been logging. Way to go Jack!!!

I had a solid week of running and have been feeling really good. I've been strengthening some weaknesses, stretching a bunch while building back up some miles. I'm planning on getting a four or five hour run this week and even more next week as I say goodbye to some of the local trails for a little while. We'll see how the body responds and more will definitely be revealed in the next couple of weeks. Ten days to our big move and a lot of emotions are stirring!

run happy and enjoy summer!