As a Bostonian moved to Norway a few years ago, I was shocked & delighted by the quantity of traction footwear easily available everywhere -- basically, any pharmacy will have a selection. I of course owned coil traction yaktrax but I had never seen the stud type which is very common here (even in kids sizes!). But the new kind I had never seen is like plastic sandpaper -- basically, enough to grip on mild ice but NOT damaging to indoor floors so you don't have to awkwardly take them off them you get to the grocery store or coffee shop etc. There's incredible engineering happening for footwear & America is missing out!!
Sounds like I might need to write a sequel to this post by either going to Norway and getting some of this sole paper (ideally) or having a friend from Europe bring some when they visit Boston next time (more likely). In general, when I go abroad to places that also have to deal with winter, I'm surprised by the amount of innovation happening there. Some of these products and activations would be super easy to replicate here, if we wanted to be a little less miserable.
Thanks, Kalpana. I try to avoid shoehorning, but these (cathartic) videos struck me as a pretty natural springboard for talking about the unsung hazards of actual ice and the fairly simple solutions within reach.
I've wondered about this possibility. Haven't found any in the field and the pair I have has made it through two winters so far, but since the studs are directly attached to the rubber, integrity of material matters. Another reason why it's probably worth it to go with a model that comes with at least a year or two of warranty coverage.
Brilliant breakdown of the traction hierarchy. The insight about ice studs being the sweet spot between versatility and convienence really lands. Back when I lived in a colder climate I went straight for microspikes thinking more grip was always beter, but dealing with that constant on-off ritual got old fast.
Thank you! Glad you found it useful. A few readers also mentioned a type of traction that falls between coils and spikes; Stabilicers, which are kind of like studs but a little bigger and more like cleats. I haven't used them personally, but now I'm curious. I will say that the studs have performed well for two winters in a row. No sign of impending breakage yet.
A very timely article. But no mention of of Stabilicers in the stud category? The classics have been around for years and the studs are even replaceable. The model I use the most are the L.L. Bean Stabilicers that have rounded teeth. I find the YakTrax useless on sidewalks - no good for black ice, and they wear down and break from walking on pavement.
Stabilicers was a notable oversight/ommission! Truth be told, I've never used a pair before, but I recall seeing them at REI and a few other stores. Do you feel like the size of the rounded cleats work well on thin ice? Since they're a little bulkier than the smaller peg-like studs, I've wondered if they're better suited for more ice buildup. Being able to replace the cleats is a welcome bonus though.
The rounded-tooth cleats are OK on thin ice, but I haven't used the sharper spikes so I can't do a comparison. Of course they do better when there's something to dig into. They've been fine for tooling around the suburban sidewalks and trails.
As a Bostonian moved to Norway a few years ago, I was shocked & delighted by the quantity of traction footwear easily available everywhere -- basically, any pharmacy will have a selection. I of course owned coil traction yaktrax but I had never seen the stud type which is very common here (even in kids sizes!). But the new kind I had never seen is like plastic sandpaper -- basically, enough to grip on mild ice but NOT damaging to indoor floors so you don't have to awkwardly take them off them you get to the grocery store or coffee shop etc. There's incredible engineering happening for footwear & America is missing out!!
Searching "sandygrip brodder" will show you examples of this other type. Brodder is the term for this tore of grippy shoe cover.
Sounds like I might need to write a sequel to this post by either going to Norway and getting some of this sole paper (ideally) or having a friend from Europe bring some when they visit Boston next time (more likely). In general, when I go abroad to places that also have to deal with winter, I'm surprised by the amount of innovation happening there. Some of these products and activations would be super easy to replicate here, if we wanted to be a little less miserable.
Wow, those sound great. I haven't seen them in the U.S., though.
Same -- my parents bought several when they visited, to share with friends 😂
Love how you connect this important daily winter hazard to the politics.
Thanks, Kalpana. I try to avoid shoehorning, but these (cathartic) videos struck me as a pretty natural springboard for talking about the unsung hazards of actual ice and the fairly simple solutions within reach.
No, it really worked and it's beautifully and powerfully written.
Only one problem with the studs…I have found the studs on trails in winter. They seem to fall out occasionally, apparently unnoticed.
I was actually thinking of how they are littering/polluting the environment. maybe they could be more permanently affixed to the soles.
I've wondered about this possibility. Haven't found any in the field and the pair I have has made it through two winters so far, but since the studs are directly attached to the rubber, integrity of material matters. Another reason why it's probably worth it to go with a model that comes with at least a year or two of warranty coverage.
Brilliant breakdown of the traction hierarchy. The insight about ice studs being the sweet spot between versatility and convienence really lands. Back when I lived in a colder climate I went straight for microspikes thinking more grip was always beter, but dealing with that constant on-off ritual got old fast.
Thank you! Glad you found it useful. A few readers also mentioned a type of traction that falls between coils and spikes; Stabilicers, which are kind of like studs but a little bigger and more like cleats. I haven't used them personally, but now I'm curious. I will say that the studs have performed well for two winters in a row. No sign of impending breakage yet.
A very timely article. But no mention of of Stabilicers in the stud category? The classics have been around for years and the studs are even replaceable. The model I use the most are the L.L. Bean Stabilicers that have rounded teeth. I find the YakTrax useless on sidewalks - no good for black ice, and they wear down and break from walking on pavement.
Stabilicers was a notable oversight/ommission! Truth be told, I've never used a pair before, but I recall seeing them at REI and a few other stores. Do you feel like the size of the rounded cleats work well on thin ice? Since they're a little bulkier than the smaller peg-like studs, I've wondered if they're better suited for more ice buildup. Being able to replace the cleats is a welcome bonus though.
The rounded-tooth cleats are OK on thin ice, but I haven't used the sharper spikes so I can't do a comparison. Of course they do better when there's something to dig into. They've been fine for tooling around the suburban sidewalks and trails.