There are lots of fancy shoes and contraptions for running safely on ice. The concept I find most interesting is DIY Ice Spikes - basically 10 hex screws inserted into the sole of each shoe. Inexpensive, and apparently effective. I haven't tried it, but I'm intrigued. You can find directions and pictures at Competitor magazine: http://running.competitor.com/2013/12/news/diy-snow-running-spikes_91843.
Their directions say:
- Purchase 20 3/8-inch hex-head sheet metal screws (size #8 or #10) for each pair of shoes. (Hex-head screws work best because they have jagged edges.) Total cost will be about $5.
- Position screws around the perimeter of the outsole—six around the forefoot and four in the heel. Avoid areas that might poke feet upon impact with the ground.
- Twist screws into the outsole rubber. (Pre-drilling with a 1/16 bit will help.)
- Run with confidence over anything that is slippery, wet or frozen. (Note: They’re most effective on ice and small amounts of snow on roads or hard-packed trails.)
Interesting, right?
Quite interesting - I didn't know that there is a DIY option. Neat, thanks for sharing! I typically opt for the treadmill when it gets icy outside, for fear of injury and forced time off. But I do own and have used a few times my Yaktrax Pro, which I do recommend highly. Have you ever seen these? They can also be used for regular use walking around in the snow/ice. https://www.yaktrax.com/product/pro
ReplyDeleteI had heard of yaktrax, but for some reason I thought they were more expensive than they are. I'm glad to see they are affordable and to realize you can use them outside of running. And they have the added advantage of being removable, unlike the hex screws! Thanks for posting about them, Leilani!
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