Eric W I found that the fine gauge zipper on this gaiter is strained when putting them over anything larger than a low profile running shoe... and in my case the zipper eventually broke. I returned them after the zipper failed on a second pair. I then tried Mountain Hardwear's "Scree Gaiter". This gaiter is made with NO zipper which is nice for durability. It also is a little higher and has more girth toward the top of the gaiter, leaving enough room for a cross country mid-height ski boot. Hope this helps, and good luck! -Eric W.

MISTI A No, they are not water proof, they are debry gaiters for trail running