YaxTrax Run Opinion (Read 201 times)

i have run in them...totally take the worry out of a slipping in icy conditions. in deeper or crusty snow the strapless version will get pulled right off. bare asphalt wears them out quickly as well so depending on how many miles you run in them...it could get expensive. i may even wear them tomorrow - not sure how the road will be. they feel a little weird but totally worth not wiping out.

I bought three dozen 3/8inch sheet metal screws (the kind with the hexagonal heads) at lowes and filled the bottom of an old pair of running shoes with them.  I can run on anything and it cost about $2.38

I bought three dozen 3/8inch sheet metal screws (the kind with the hexagonal heads) at lowes and filled the bottom of an old pair of running shoes with them.  I can run on anything and it cost about $2.38

i tried screws...they eventually poked through the sole of my snicker and into my foot...i must have done it wrong.

i am fat so there's that to consider.

The Yax Trax are simply awesome.

For me, they get used on runs when you have a mix of some snow/ice/packed snow and then some solid surface....like running in town.

You can barely tell they are on when you run on solid surface, but on ice or hardpack snow it's like your feet grow claws and you can just tear through conditions that would cause your feet to slip.

For safetys sake invest in a pair if you run in snowy or icy climates.

Just a note...I make sure to put mine on in the garage..or at least I make sure not to walk over my tile or wood floors (or carpet as well). I'm pretty sure they would leave a mark.

I can't remember what I paid for mine....it was years ago....and they only get used on the weather conditions described above, but even if you go through a pair a year they can't be THAT expensive.

Last Xmas I received a pair of "SnowTrax", off-brand version from Costco. Basic construction was exactly like the YakTrax. First time I wore them on Xmas day, I thought they were great. Next day, still good but started to get a bit annoying; the rubber part holding it to the shoe would slide around so the coils were no longer quite centered under the shoe properly & I had to stop & fix it several times during the run. Next day, even more sliding around, then the coils broke during the run. End of SnowTrax. Incidentally, the next day, running without them, I got a foot injury during the run which sidelined me for 2 weeks. Maybe unrelated, but will always be related in my mind.

I run in a suburban neighborhood with a mix of surfaces. They seemed to do best on hard-packed slippery snow, making it so I didn't have to worry so much about where I stepped. Didn't do much in deep snow, other than accumulate a lot of snow & get heavy. On bare ground, seemed to be fine although felt weird & I always had the feeling that it wasn't the best thing for me or the devices. Actually would go out of my way to step on the snow-covered sections.

Again, these were not the authentic YakTrax, but have heard similar complaints from people with the real deal. Although of course many people swear by them.

I've found that they work well for me under the right conditions.  Snow packed roads = great.  Any other conditions = not so great and I'm usually just better off leaving them at home.  On ice they just don't dig in enough and I'd say they actually make things worse than just the rubber soles of my running shoes.  On fresh snow, no advantage as they seem to just cake up full of snow.  On a mix of snow pack/ice/dry pavement I also find it's not worth it to wear them as they are annoying more then helpful.  But for those maybe 5 days a year around here where all the roads are all snow packed, they are great.  I'm glad I have them; I've just learned that they are not the cure all for winter running that I hoped they would be when I bought them.

I've found that they work well for me under the right conditions.  Snow packed roads = great.  Any other conditions = not so great and I'm usually just better off leaving them at home.  On ice they just don't dig in enough and I'd say they actually make things worse than just the rubber soles of my running shoes.  On fresh snow, no advantage as they seem to just cake up full of snow.  On a mix of snow pack/ice/dry pavement I also find it's not worth it to wear them as they are annoying more then helpful.  But for those maybe 5 days a year around here where all the roads are all snow packed, they are great.  I'm glad I have them; I've just learned that they are not the cure all for winter running that I hoped they would be when I bought them.

I agree with this. I have found Yaktrax good for packed snow and not much else. Very annoying on pavement. Useless on ice, which is mostly the winter footing we deal with around here.