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I'm currently in the mountains, and my daily walks through my paved neighbourhood have been replaced with hikes on real trails. For a city girl like me, this is groundbreaking. I should preface this by saying that my hikes are a few miles, not intense backpacking through the wilderness, but they're a lot more than what I'm used to. I've had hiking boots before, and frankly I hate the way they feel on my feet. I started shopping for a trail sneaker, as I thought that would best suit my needs, and I've fallen in love with my Nike Wildhorse 7 ($130) sneakers.
I tried on a few different sneakers, but these stood out to me for one critical reason. They've got what Nike refers to as a "gaiter collar" around the ankle, which is essentially a soft piece of fabric around the ankle. This is meant to keep dirt and debris out of your sneaker as you move through the trails, and it definitely does that, but it also doesn't give me blisters. This is really all I think about when trying on a new pair of sneakers, and I cannot stop raving about them. Plus, the traction is amazing, and they look cute! If you're a trail runner or planning to do some hiking soon, you need these ASAP. I have not been this happy about a purchase in a long time.