I do not normally like to wear gaiters unless there is cold weather and snow involved. However, I know there is some interest in lightweight functional gaiters on the Forum. I'm not writing this post as a recommendation for purchase, but as information to help inform forum members interested in gaiters of a product choice that one may decide to consider.
I have had this pair of gaiters sitting around for the last year, unused. Originally they were sent to me by MLD for gear testing. I informed them after a month that I would not be able to complete the assignment, at which time they told me to 'hang onto them', rather than make a return. Sure, ok, no problem
The thing that caught my eye first was that they seemed to be competently designed and lightweight enough to be worthwhile to bring for gaiter lovers. So, last month I thought I would give them a try for a while, and then decide whether to talk about them on the Forum.
The MLD Superlight Gaiter is made from fabric which incorporates the eVent waterproof / breathable material. eVent is the 2nd best fabric for breathability and is definitely waterproof. I have found eVent to work surprisingly well, in regards to breathability. Bottom line: they didn't make my feet noticeably warmer when wearing them with my Hokas.
The second big issue is how they feel on my bare leg, as I usually hike or backpack in running shorts, or zip-off pants that the legs are unzipped off of. Is the fabric too harsh and scratchy? Is the elastic at the top, which is designed to keep the gaiter UP either too tight, or not tight enough? Does the fabric feel damp or clammy? I did not find a problem with any of those things.
Without snow, it is hard to see how well the fabric sheds snow.
And I do not worry about rain as an issue because I use other strategies to deal with the potential of wet feet. But I will note that in walking through dewy-wet grasses where the tops of my shoes get damp, they stayed dry. Keep in mind, though, that gaiters like these are NOT rain jackets for shoes; they will not keep shoes dry in prolonged rains with puddled paths.
The gaiters are terrific at keeping dust and debris from getting into the shoe. And because light dust particles can work their way through the fabrics of shoes, this gaiter did provide a good barrier against this as well. This means the gaiter can help keep the fabric of the upper from getting dirt worked into it, which is not so much an issue of keeping the shoe clean, as it is reducing the micro grinding of the abrasive dirt particles from chewing against the fabrics of the shoe.
The weakness of this gaiter, which is shared by many brands of gaiters, is the cord which is designed to run under the bottom of the shoe in order to help keep the bottom edges of the gaiter in place. On trail runners or road runners, the cord is constantly stepped on. You don't feel it being stepped on, but the cord is being mashed and ground between the shoe and the earth with every step. This is a wear factor, and although anything can be used as a cord, be prepared at some point to replace the cord (easy to do). On Camino, I wouldn't even bother to carry a spare, as you can purchase some cord of some kind along the way. And if a cord breaks while between villages, it is just means that the bottom edges of the gaiter might curl up a bit on the sides of the shoe which is no big deal.
Some hiking shoes, like Oboz or some Merrills do not have as much of an issue with this because there is usually a bit of a raised area on the outersole about where the middle of the shoe is.
On my scale, the medium sized pair of gaiters weigh in at 1.6 ounces / 45 grams. The current price is at $50.00 USD.
The gaiters work well, they are extremely lightweight for what they do, and they are not unreasonably priced.