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Ultralight trail runners that DON’T leak dust?


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Home Forums Gear Forums Gear (General) Ultralight trail runners that DON’T leak dust?

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Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)
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  • #1306245
    Kevin Burton
    BPL Member

    @burtonator

    Locale: norcal

    I just got a new pair of Solomon trail runners. They're about 600g total… My previous pair were like 1000g so I'm pretty happy with with the upgrade.

    Anyway.. The problem is that a pretty significant amount of dust falls in and gets my feet completely dirty. This is only really at the toe portion where there is a thin mesh.

    I figure I could hack it and maybe try to seal the top panel. not sure how right now though.

    My previous pair of trail runners didn't really leak dirt which was nice. I could just take off my shoes and have pretty clean feet.

    Any thought on how I could seal up the toe compartment?

    #2013013
    Jason G
    BPL Member

    @jasong

    Locale: iceberg lake

    I think that just comes with the territory..

    you could get GTX's… but won't be as breathable

    I just have a clean pair of socks that i change into at lunch and wash the other ones..

    #2013015
    Brandon M
    Spectator

    @s2bmay

    Locale: DC

    Out of curiosity, what are the shoes in question? Speedcross?

    #2013020
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    > dust falls in and gets my feet completely dirty.
    Yeah, happens. So?
    We wash our feet before going to bed. Feels good too.
    Better than sealing our feet up in GTX and going totally prune.

    Cheers

    #2013023
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    "Yeah, happens. So?
    We wash our feet before going to bed. Feels good too.
    Better than sealing our feet up in GTX and going totally prune."

    Oh Roger, you are just too logical.

    Folks, we are outdoors. There is dirt, dust, and mud. It is part of life. We are not walking in operating rooms.

    #2013031
    Rick Reno
    BPL Member

    @scubahhh

    Locale: White Mountains, mostly.

    Work for me. I wear 'em with old fashioned wool ragg socks and don't have any problems.

    Just my 2¢

    #2013040
    Nathan Watts
    BPL Member

    @7sport

    I picked up a pair of leather NB MT-10 to wear around town because I liked how comfortable my bright orange ones were. I don't use them on the trail but have to imagine they keep dust out better than mesh. They'll be hotter though.

    #2013047
    Sara Marchetti
    BPL Member

    @smarchet

    Yeah, comes with the territory. There are numerous reasons for this:

    * Lightens weight
    * Breathability
    * Moves and weeps water through the shoes
    * A porous material is more gentle on the tops of toes so less abrasion and shock

    I'm sure there are a few others. Granted, some shoes are worse offenders than others. You might want to consider a light gaiter like Dirty Girls gaiters to keep out the dirt. Also, socks like Swiftwick claim to keep dust/dirt away from your foot.

    #2013053
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    Another thought.

    I hike a lot in the desert, so dust is plentiful.

    Sometimes in winter when day time temps are below 50F I sometimes wear a pair of Salomon GTX shoes, I bought only for this purpose. They keep the dust out. But they would be too hot for normal 3 season hiking.

    #2013071
    Christopher Chupka
    Member

    @fattexan

    Locale: NTX

    http://www.sportiva.com/products/footwear/mountain-running

    I have used the La Sportiva C-lite on up to 1 week trips. There is an extra layer of breathable mesh that adds some dust/dirt protection. I think there is some slowing of the drying times, but not to much.

    #2013079
    Hiking Malto
    BPL Member

    @gg-man

    Gtx keeps dust and sand out of shoes much better than it does water. You decide if it is worth the negatives.

    #2013083
    Eugene Smith
    BPL Member

    @eugeneius

    Locale: Nuevo Mexico

    Don't waste your time trying to modify the shoes to keep dirt out. This is a compromise you make in going with lighter weight footwear.

    Gaiters that cover the upper portion of the shoe help some, but fine silt and dirt breaching the mesh overlay on lightweight trail running shoes is par for the course. Wash your feet periodically if it bothers you, or change out your socks.

    #2013112
    BlackHatGuy
    Spectator

    @sleeping

    Locale: The Cascades

    There's a French company that makes 'desert gaiters' that pretty much covers the entire shoe.

    #2013134
    Justin Baker
    BPL Member

    @justin_baker

    Locale: Santa Rosa, CA

    Get some shoes that don't have mesh. Yes I know that's almost impossible to find. Nobody makes a meshless trail runner with a regular nylon fabric. There is just no market for those kinds of shoes.
    My issue is stickers/grass quivers getting into my shoes.

    Consider getting some leather shoes. They are going to be much, much better than gtx (less sweaty, cooler, and dry much faster). Not the greatest for wet weather but I have hiked many miles in my leather vivobarefoots and they were fine.
    In the summer around here I exclusively wear leather shoes. In hot weather they aren't too bad.

    #2013137
    M B
    BPL Member

    @livingontheroad

    Well, my feet are filthy when I take off my shoes.
    In dusty conditions, I will take shoes and socks off at breaks and beat the dust out of my socks, and wipe my feet off with them, then put them back on.

    Its just foot maintenance.

    Sometimes, my shoes have been so full of dirt it sort of feels like walking in sand at the beach, you know there is dirt between your toes, etc. But there really isnt much there, just a bit.

    #2013181
    rowan !
    Member

    @romonster

    Locale: SF Bay Area

    Dust and fine sand inside shoes and socks isn't just an esthetic issue. I went on one trip where very fine sand went through the mesh of my shoes and through my socks. Within a mile I had blisters on the undersides of my toes from the abrasion, in a location where I would have thought it impossible to get blisters. (I do seem to have fragile skin that blisters easily, though.)

    #2013188
    Warren Greer
    Spectator

    @warrengreer

    Locale: SoCal

    The dust getting in is the only negative to trail runners that I've found. I use the Salomon Comp XA5. I recently starting using LevaGaiters. They do block dust from getting in the toe box, but not entirely. Where they actually cover the toe, they do block the dust. Don't know of any other alternative for your shoe. I'd think more than twice about trying to modify your shoe. You'll probably create more problems than you solve.

    The Saucony Peregrine has a solid fabric and may block more dust but I'd not recommend the shoe. I have a pair and they will never do more than gym duty due to the lack of lateral support.

    Probably better to forget about the dust and wash your feet at the end of the day/hike. It has never caused a problem for me. Keeping dust from my Achilles is another story though and the LevaGaiters have worked for that as well.

    #2013427
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    If dust bothers you, try gaiters, Dirty Girls, ect..

    #2013490
    Ross Bleakney
    BPL Member

    @rossbleakney

    Locale: Cascades

    I've had the same problem as Rowan, although not as often. With really long hikes late in the year (when there is more dust) I've had dust get into my feet and cause blisters. This was on day hikes. I'll look into some of the suggestions. I use shorty gators right now, but they don't cover the toe area.

    #2013495
    Ross Bleakney
    BPL Member

    @rossbleakney

    Locale: Cascades

    Apparently there are at least a couple of trail running shoes that have integrated gaiters. These are a lot like the ones you see on cross country boots, in that they cover the entire shoe. I have no idea how well they breathe or how well they keep out dust: http://www.amazon.com/Saucony-Progrid-Razor-Running-Silver/dp/B0039UTCC0, http://www.zappos.com/la-sportiva-crossover-gtx?zfcTest=fcl%3A0

    This may be worth looking into. Another possibility is to get and adapt bike shoe covers. I've thought about doing that on really wet trips (to keep my shoes dry).

    #2013557
    Bradley Attaway
    Member

    @attaboybrad

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    Basically waterproof overshoes for cycling in the rain. Would be more than adequate to keep out dust.

    Then again, they'd be about as comfortable as silnyl socks.

    #2013566
    Vince Contreras
    BPL Member

    @pillowthread

    Locale: like, in my head???

    My Vertical Ks are dust proof, and I'd also +1 the Dirty Girl Gaiters to take care of the rest…

    #2013650
    Peter Bakwin
    BPL Member

    @pbakwin

    +1 on the La Sportiva Vertical K. They are very resistant to dust/sand, and super light (185g).

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