Abstract: A flexible, elastic gaiter device designed to doubly encircle an upper rim of a wearer's footwear as well as the wearer's ankle to block ingress of debris into the footwear upper rim while bracing wearer's ankle protecting it against external and internal injury. The device is an elongated generally rectangular article. It comprises a closed loop nylon plush fabric outer layer to which is foamed an inner layer of synthetic rubber based on polychloroprene. At one end of the article's rubbery layer a fastener strip of hook elements is attached. The gaiter device is applied with its rubbery layer bridging the footwear upper rim, and firmly stretched to a double wrap, then secured by fastening the strip of hook elements with the plush outer layer. Lower edge corners of the article are diagonally cropped so that, when stretched, the lower edge will not have unsightly exposed portions.