sugnim
If you use screw shoes, what is your experience with them? Are they good on ice, snow, dirt, rocks? Do they ruin your shoes? If you are wearing screw shoes, and you come across a stretch of dry, non-icy ground, how do they respond? How do they compare to other traction devices? Thanks!
Eat to run, Run to eat
I made a pair a year or two ago, and use them when there is ice. I used a retired pair of running shoes with thick soles, so ruining the shoes wasn't an issue., and as long as you dont mind having leftover holes in your soles they wont ruin the shoes. (unless yours have a liquid center) They work well in mud, snow and plain trail dirt; they are noisy on pavement as you might expect. I can't say about big rocks, havn't tried them there. But they give improved traction on ice, Not sure how they stack up to yak trax, except that they are more comfortable than having a rubber toe clamp on your foot.
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I think they work well enough. Better than nothing. I just use a fairly worn out pair of shoes that's getting ready for retirement. Short 3/8" work fine for me.
http://www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm
Take Charge. Train Harder. Suck Less. No Excuses.
First off, they do not wreck the shoes. In spring you just remove the screws and go run. You'll hardly be able to see where the screws once were. But like was mentioned, I too generally will use a pair nearing retirement.
For me the value in screw shoes around here is on the roads and bike paths that will have a mixture of snow, ice, and some dry pavement. They work pretty nice on that and the worst that happens is some of the screws tend to get their edges filed down. Their ok on packed trails if the snow is not too deep and there are icy patches or bare ground mixed in.
Yaks are fine (imho) on packed trails that are a little deeper. Not so great on ice and if you want them to last you need to remove them on dry pavement.
Kahtoola micro spikes are what I use on trails most of the time around here. They are winners in deeper snow, packed trails, and icy conditions.
On bare rock none of these work well at all. Picture a deer with hooves on an ice skating rink if you can. Kind of dangerous really but if your trails have a mixture of packed snow and bare rock than the screw shoes would be the best.
Look for the wear areas on your soles and put the screws in there. I use 10-12 per shoe. Pull the insole out to make sure you haven't gone thru and have little spikes sticking you.
Screws are not the end all be all but around here they are an important piece of the arsenal.
Hope this helps.
running under the BigSky
for some ice, packed snow I think they work great- if it's very icy then the only thing that I've found to work is the microspikes
if you have thicker soles 1/2" sheet metal screws will work, thinner soles 3/8"- use a drill w/ a driver bit- they go in easy, by hand- not so easy
they're a little noisy on roads (I have about 1/2 mile of roads to get to the trailheads), but fine- probably wear a little quicker, but the screws are cheap
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Thanks, everyone!
the worst that happens is some of the screws tend to get their edges filed down.
slightly worse can happen.
you can put a slightly too long screw in a slightly too thin part of the shoe on race day.
(yup).
I used Icebugs when I lived in the snow. They are running shoes with integrated spikes. I thought they were pretty good but heavy.
Could be worth checking out.
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slightly worse can happen. you can put a slightly too long screw in a slightly too thin part of the shoe on race day. (yup).
Um lagwagon, Please read my post all the way thru before pulling something out of context. I mention that very thing
(yup)
my "yup" was to indicate that I did it to myself. sorry if the humor was too subtle, no offense intended.
No problem. I could write a book on "this happened to me" or "life's painful lessons"
What is also really fun to is spike your opposite ankle while wearing the microspikes. Takes real talent.
I like the Sportiva Hobnails ... I use them in C-Lites or X-Country (they screw right into the lugs nicely).