Trail Runners & Sand, Dust & Grit

[obx hiker]

Riddle me this. How does one keep sand, grit and dust in significant blister causing quantity out of really breathable trail runners like for ex. Saloman XA pros?

I'm not referring to stuff coming in through the "big hole in the top" provided for inserting one's foot…… there are all sorts of gaiters like dirty girls, montbell etc for that problem. I'm speaking of the sand dirt dust and grit that comes straight through the mesh. This is big a problem in 3 areas I've frequented, the Sierra, the greater southwest, and right here on the sandbar we call home and I'm sure many others you can name. Try walking out the backdoor here to Jockeys Ridge, or anywhere in the Needles, Cedar Mesa, Chaco, Seki, (anyone been into the Ballroom in Upper Butler Wash lately for a fun example?) you could name a million places where this is a potential problem…. Last September I had to stop @ every 3 miles in Seki and basically wash my feet. Thank goodness for regular frequent stream crossings ;)

Now on that Seki trip I was wearing very lite socks purportedly designed for long distance running called ironman something and also often wear smartwool running socks so the grit/sand /etc also comes right through the sock……… but isn't that the idea? light mesh trail runners, lite thin socks?

A few years back I tried glueing a rim of Velcro around the mesh area coming up the sides and over the ball of the foot so I could attach a sort of removable breathable patch over that area in adverse conditions but the glue/Velcro tended to fail and the whole thing was fugly. I also found some British company, I think, sold a high gaiter called a Kalahari? that used a Velcro band glued over entire rand to keep the stuff completely out but it was justifiable relatively pricey, relied on a consistent rand of the proper width and probably also subject to untimely failure.

I guess my # 1 question is are there trail runners with a breathable mesh that maybe doesn't allow the entry of as much debris as the Salomons? Wearing thicker socks might help but again seems to defeat the purpose.

Ideas? What do you wear for these conditions or how do you deal with these conditions? I know quite a few of you hike extensively in the dry SW and also there's a lot of experience out there with the dryer dustier mid elev trail sections in the Sierra.. So how about it? And Thanks!

[Nathan Watts]

I'm thinking you might not find what you're looking for.

If you are getting blisters from fine dust and dirt coming in though the mesh, I think you need to eliminate the mesh. Maybe I'm lucky but I haven't had a problem from dust like that, my experience including the grand canyon as probably the finest dust I've dealt with.

Maybe try some different socks. Where are the blisters occurring? Some here swear by the toe socks. I have some of those but haven't really needed them and they're more difficult to put on.

My feet are usually pretty filthy at the end of the day. I mostly use thin merino low cut socks. I was going without socks for a while too but didn't find it much cooler and it certainly makes for some smelly footwear.

[Koen Derks]

Remember you should do what works for you, not what the majority thinks is OK. If you happen to hike/live on places with a lot of dirt, maybe mesh isn't a good idea? (opinions probably disagree)
Also with merino socks: they can be wonderful! But I own pairs of synthetic running socks which are much stronger and denser so grid/needles/dirt doesn't get into the weave.

[Dan Quixote]

Have you considered committing the near-heretical act of using gore-tex lined shoes? The breathability would be diminished, to be sure, but the liner would do a great job of keeping out small particulates.

I base this advice only on an anecdote from a post I read elsewhere 3 years ago, in which a guy wore gore-tex lined shoes on a multiday ultrarun in death valley. All his compatriots thought he was nuts for wearing gore-tex shoes in such hot weather, but his feet didn't get ripped up by all the sand, dust, and grit. Towards the end of the race everyone saw his wisdom.

*anecdote over*

[Mark Verber]

I have worn footwear which resulted in exactly what you are talking about.. most recently a pair of five fingers… but that was without socks. With my standard tralrunners (Inov-8 flyroc 310) or earlier Saloman Comp2s and NB 801s, I found a number of socks (Wright DoubleSocks, injinji original weight nuwool, SmartWool Adrenaline, Inov-8 coolmax socks, acsis ??? – really dense weave) provided enough buffer that the grit never got to the point that it irritated my feet. My feet and socks were really dirty, but not blisters or rawness.

If you shoe/socks aren't working you can play with either, but I would encourage you to try a few different sorts of socks and see if you find something that works. The great thing about socks is they aren't that expensive, and whatever doesn't make the cut can become daily use. If you can't find a sock that works, then you should switch to a shoe that is more fabric and less mesh. You most likely don't have to go to something as unbreathable as Gore-Tex or eVENT.

–Mark

[Justin Baker]

I think you need different shoes. Try and find some trail shoes that don't have any mesh. Like some kind of nylon/codura like material. They won't be as breathable or quick drying.
Most trail shoes have mesh so good luck trying to find some.

[Steve Thompson]

You might give these a try. The upper is quite breathable, but the tight weave prevents much of the grit and grime that finds its way through mesh uppers.

They tend toward the wide side otherwise they'd be my shoe of choice.

[Nathan Stuart]

Have you tried toe socks ?? injinji's are good I find for grit they stop the abrasion between your toes.

Lots of very silty rivers in NZ put mine to the test and they worked great.
I wear mine with Inov 8 295's.

[Mike M]

have you actually gotten blisters due to the dirt/grit? if I'm country where the soil is extra fine, it will get through the mesh and eventually through my socks, but I've never had any problems (save dirty feet) even on long (25+ mile) days.

going to gore or the like might be an option, but w/ obvious drawbacks- less breathable, hotter, harder to dry- all of which could potentially contribute to blisters as well

as suggested maybe try some tighter weave or slightly thick socks first

[obx hiker]

Thank you all for the replies and suggestions; my internet access has been out for the past several days starting right after I made the first comment and I had to re-wire or re-cable a section of the building to fix it. Literally no sooner was that resolved then we had plenty of local excitement with about 7 inches of rain in a couple hours which created the very unusual situation for this locale of having flooding by water from the sky instead of the Ocean or Sounds.

Anyway there were several good comments. I've also been examining the lining fabric in a couple other mesh type trail runners and it looks like the Salomon are more open than a pair of Montrails and a pair of New Balance runners I examined. I was wondering about the Montrail AT's mentioned by Stephen Thompson since the mesh appears to be a tighter weave. I was hoping for suggestions like that for trail runners that have a finer mesh permitting less passage of as much grit or sand.

I also think Mark Verber's suggestion of trying a tighter weave sock ought to help. It's not really dust or dirt that's acting as an abrasive but rather grittier stuff like sand and mixed with moisture/sweat. The sock I was wearing both times I had this problem was a VERY open weave. The stuff creating the problem was grit or sand so a bit finer liner to the mesh or tighter weave to the socks would probably go quite a ways toward solving the problem.

I especially got a laugh at Daniel Allen's shocking suggestion and anecdote:

"Have you considered committing the near-heretical act of using gore-tex lined shoes? The breathability would be diminished, to be sure, but the liner would do a great job of keeping out small particulates."

I wear the same Salomons with goretex as often as I think I can get away with it, like under 70 (preferably 50's and under) and few if any stream crossings. They are the only solution I've found for hiking in consistently deep sand; but they are much warmer and sweaty feet can = blisters too! Mesh shoes sure dry fast and thoroughly which is a deciding factor with stream crossings when you know for sure water is coming in through the "foot-hole". OTOH I'd rather wear goretex for example when hiking in the Smokies or general NC mountains with ridge line hiking,stream crossings are a minor issue but things are otherwise soaking wet. I wear the mesh for example in Slickrock or Wilson creek when you are stream crossing constantly. On another occasion I had a problem wearing mesh in Grand Gulch and not cleaning out my shoes/socks immediately after picking up a load of silty mud wading through long wet muddy stretches.

Like most things in life its probably a combination of factors. Terrain, weave of the socks, relative openness of the mesh and tweaking the right recipe for a solution.

Anyway thanks for your suggestions and sorry for the tardy response.

[Joshua Billings]

I have some merrel moab ventilators and they don't let very much dust through but still breathe pretty good. They have a really nice vibram sole and are very durable. They make them in a mid top or high top if you like those styles. I use them for around town and hiking and one pair will last me almost a year. I have a pair of vasque blurs that i use when it is hot and they let all kinds of dirt through but that isn't a problem for me. They aren't nearly durable enough though for everyday use and one pair only lasts me 6 months if i wear them everyday.

[obx hiker]

Funny how in sorting through a thread like this you are forced to really refine your query. Now it appears I'm down to " What trial runners breathe, stay cooler and dry better than goretex trail runners but don't let in as much grit and sand as really open mesh trail runners like for ex Salomon XA pros?

Josh I used to have a pair of the Moab ventilators and at the time thought they were too hot. I guess the question is "compared to what?"

I think shoes like the ventilators will work well enough especially compared to the heat buildup and drying problems with the "heretical" goretex trail runners; and paired with a tighter weave of sock and remembering that this isn't a problem except really sandy areas.

On the bright side I clicked on the gear deals sales link below my last post and discovered that Campmor has the Montrail AT's for @ 57.50 in size 8.5 and 9. That's a pretty good deal! I have a pair ordered and will test.

[M B]

Frequent washing of socks , feet, and shoes will help the issue.
Ive gone up to 3 days with the same socks with no washing, and by 40 miles my feet were dirty and gritty, but still no blisters or anything.

3 days in wet wet conditions with frequent stream crossings and feet were clean.

Wet socks and shoes are more comfortable than dirty ones. Actually, I find wet socks more comfortable even than dry ones. Go figure.

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