I have everything else covered (top, bottom, gloves) but when it comes to holding a swift pace across slick patches, I am SOL.
So what do you use? I have heard other runners going klink, klink, klink past me but I know nothing about snow spikes or shoe trax.
Is there one type or brand or as with everything else in running, is the sky is the limit? If so, point me in the right direction so I can get my swift on!
I'm curious to read the responses. I am considering doing a half this month and I was wondering if I should buy something like the Salomon Speedcross 3 which are supposed to offer traction over ice and snow. Actually, I don't care about the winter race, I just want to buy the shoes because they are pretty.
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
flashlight and sidewalk
The response by AKTrail in this post probably has all the info you are looking for.
**Ask me about streaking**
I just looked at her post. Wow... it's like S&M, but for shoes...
Hip Redux
DH has a pair of Kahtoola microspikes - he likes them, but uses them only on trails (might be overkill on pavement!)
I second the microspikes. I can run on snow and ice on hills and never have any fear of slipping. Mostly on trails though, or ice covered lakes.
Take Charge. Train Harder. Suck Less. No Excuses.
Skirt Runner
I hear a lot of good things about YaxTrax but haven't tried them ....anyone use those?
PRs: 5K- 28:16 (5/5/13) 10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13) 4M- 41:43 (9/7/13) 15K- 1:34:25 (8/17/13) 10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14) HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14) Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)
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For running sidewalks, I use a pair of heavy lugged trail shoes when there will be fresh snow. I have a lighter duty pair of trail shoes that I wear when it will be a mix of conditions that includes bare pavement/sidewalk. It is rarely icy enough for the trail shoes not to be enough. If that were to happen, I'd turn an old pair into screw shoes.
I had a pair of yaktrax that I wore for work (walking only). They lasted about 2 days. Unless the running specific version (yak trax run) is much more durable, I can't see them holding up to many miles of use. They did provide a good amount of traction. I'd be interested to hear other's experience regarding their durability (maybe I was just rough on them or had a crappy pair).
I use the Yak Trax Run and I love them. I've used them for well over a dozen runs in varying conditions and they've held up great so far. I hear the spikes in front are more durable than an all-coil construction? I'm a slow runner, but they don't affect my gait. Definitely only for packed snow and ice, though. No good in deep snow--they'll just weigh you down--and they clack on exposed pavement.
See this conversation on the main boards.
Call me Ray (not Ishmael)
I was going to rehash some comments I made on a previous thread; fortunately obiebyke just linked to it so I will quote directly.
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.
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.
Dave
I much prefer screw shoes to Yax. Yax just don't grip that well on ice and are sort of awkward feeling for running. But my favorite are these: http://www.icespike.com/ they are more expensive than machine screws but I can't feel them poking through like I can with screw shoes. Nothing really works great on snow though. But for ice and slippery stretches, these are great.
This is a legit reason.
I use Yak Trax (the coil kind) if it's icy or if there's a greasy snow/salt mix thin enough to "squish" down to the pavement. In deep snow or on cold hardpack they are superfluous. Basically they need something to cut into, or to make contact with blacktop.
The sliding off your shoes complaint is valid, but! if you have an extra pair of shoelaces, you can rig up a Roman sandal kind of thing going on over top of your shoe, and they won't budge. Zooming up an icy hill with impunity is worth the extra time and hassle.
Do ice spikes or screw shoes ruin your shoes? Does it take long to take them on and off if say one day it is icy but the next conditions are better? Or do you take a pair of close to retired shoes and screw them in and leave them for the winter?
No, it doesn't ruin your shoes. When you take them out, you almost can't even tell the holes were there. I wouldn't take them out and put them in every time it gets icy out. I just put them on one pair and use those for runs where it's slippery and use another pair when the roads are clear.