Screws in your shoes? (Read 1182 times)

If you screw them in too far it could really cause problems

Yaktrax or stabilicers achieve the same thing for more money and less shoe damage. However, screws are fine. 3/8" or 1/2" sheetmetal screws are best - don't use them on racers that have thin soles. Just be sure to put them at the thickest part of your shoe, and avoid any air or gel pockets that your shoes may have. It's easier to use a drill than a screwdriver. You'll lose a few here and there, but in the spring you can just take them out. Your shoes may not last quite as long this way, but if you use an older pair that wouldn't last the winter anyway its an easy way to make yourself a little safer. Note that the head of the screw is what goes into the ground, and that the point goes into the shoe towards your foot.

Matt Carpenter comments: http://www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm

Thanks for the insight gang! Blaine, I've read your website re:Stabilicers and have considered them too, but like Mike said, I rarely have a need for them over an entire run. On my normal 4 and 5 mile routes at work there are portions that require running on sidewalks that are usually slick. They may have a thin layer of snow over ice and I've nearly busted my arse whilst travering said terrain. For the most part though, my runs are in the road and tend to be mostly just wet. So if I do have the "screwed shoe", how is it running in them when there's essentially just pavement w/out snow/ice? I'm leaning toward just HTFU and being careful when I'm out there, but there are times when I think it's stupid to not at least try to find a better solution.

So if I do have the "screwed shoe", how is it running in them when there's essentially just pavement w/out snow/ice?

It's a little annoying, but not much different than not having them. A lot of times I would carry the stabilicers until I got to the trail I was running on and would put them on my feet then. Those runs tended to be a mile roads, 4 or 5 miles on ice, and then a mile roads.

I ran last night with screws in shoes after a big snowfall. Crossed many different types of terrain including lightly packed snow, hard packed snow and deep snow as well as asphalt where the roads had been salted. Worked out quite well. 3/8" hex screws. I had no discomfort at all. Dave

I've used an older pair of running shoes last year and made a pair of "screw shoes". They worked really well for ice and snow but unfortunately are slippery when you hit dry pavement. Think about it....you are running an a much smaller surface area, (dozen sheet metal screw heads), and it's just about metal on concrete or asphalt. I run in ALL weather conditions but this year I may end up using a nordic trac indoors when the sidewalks are ice covered.