Luckily, my knee-high nylon gaiters kept my last pair of socks from getting soaked. My gaiterless traveling partner wasn't so lucky. Within a few steps, water had seeped over the tops of his boots, turning his wool socks into sponges. Gaiters do more than just keep waves at bay when you're navigating the Olympic Peninsula coastline. In all sorts of inhospitable terrain, they can ward off the rain, snow, sand, mud and scree, and even protect your bare calves from blackberry brambles or other thorny nuisances.
Gaiters come in a variety of shapes, styles and sizes.
Gore-Tex is an ideal gaiter fabric because it offers waterproofness at little to no cost in breathability. But the cost comes in the price. If you're a bargain hunter, look for coated nylon gaiters, but stay away from heavy, thick, bulky Cordura fabrics. In my experience, they're overkill in a gaiter application. First consider the placement of the closure.