I’m sure this has likely been covered before, but still i’ll ask. Does anyone have any favorite shoes for winter running? Things seem to get a little stiff in MN. Should i go straight to a trail shoe?
I normally run in Newtons and Kwicky Blade Lights as of recently. The newtons are not good on really cold days especially if there is some snow or slop on the ground. For those days I run in Nike Lunar Glides, for me they are a lot warmer and offer more traction. I have never tried a trail shoe, but that could work too.
I m in mn and I just run in street shoes. I never use yak trax or anything similar either. I have amazing ice running skills apparently. Also I wear a pair of sealskinz socks on the bitter cold windy days. Those things are amazing at keeping the wind out. They also work wonders when everything starts melting and we get those slush lakes at every intersection.
i spent the summer months on blade lights, and loved them. Definitely thinking about the newton trails for winter. the slop is a concern here for sure. Last year i ran in sauconys, but they seemed to get incredibly stiff after about 20min in the cold.
In Ottawa, ON (not the coldest place by any Canadian standard) I usually rock the same shoes (Asics DS trainers).
What I find helps on the sh*tty cold (i.e. <15 degrees celcius) are better socks - I love these guys
Chuck Taylor Converse
Good enough for Rocky…
Although I don’t have a particular favorite winter shoe, I do have a hated winter shoe. MIZUNO. I have had horrible experience with these guys come winter time, though they make a quality non ice/snow shoe. The heel part of the sole has this horse shoe design on it, which creates what I’ve come to call the “ice ball of death.” Snow will pack into the middle of the horseshoe and freeze over creating a pure slick on the heel of the shoe. I had to try to kick it out every mile or so and just ended up with many frustrated miles. Needless to say, Chicago winter running and Mizunos do not mix!
Now I have never tried it, but I have read to screw in some short screws into the bottom of some old running shoes to increase traction. I usually steer clear of snowy trails in the winter, but I can imagine this would be a decent idea or substitute to Yak Tracks.
Shoes that use AIR for cushion vs gel or evo foam. Nike has a lot of air cushioned shoes. Gel and foam shoes WILL get firmer and lose cushion in the winter when exposed to colder temp’s air will not (at least to the extent of the gel/foam shoes).
I normally just wear my regular shoe, although when the footing is pad, I wear YakTrax. I live in MN, FWIW.
I used to run all winter in MN (below zero, snowing, sleeting, whatever) in Asics GT 2160s. I never noticed any difference in stiffness and never had a need for trail shoes for the snow. Key for me was Smartwool socks and watching my footing. If you hit a patch of glaze ice, nubby trail shoes aren’t going to do anyting but make you look even more silly when you go ass-up. I never tried Yaktrax though.
I will definitely give some warmer socks a go this year. My only worry there is that my feet sweat quite a bit. Although wool is supposed to move moisture well, so we will see. I have repeatedly read about adding the small screws to old shoes, but haven’t tried it. Maybe i should convert those worn out Sauconys and see how that goes. The gel angle is something i hadn’t even considered, thanks for the heads up on that.
If your feet are sweating, you don’t need wool socks. I’ve run in -10F with regular socks/shoes. Feet not a problem at all. I’ve got an older pair with the screws that work pretty well on very icy days.
I use the same shoes year round in central alberta. -30 to - 40 at its worst. with merino wool socks.
I was always a mocker of the YakTrak and thought they were silly and yet another piece of frippery that companies schill to gear-starved runners. Then I ended up with a pair last year, and thought “Oh, what the hell…might as well give 'em a go.” Now, last year was REALLY snowy here, so I got more use out of them than maybe I would have in other years, but still. They are great to have on hand if you need them–and unlike screws, you can just pull them on or off halfway through a run if need be.
Take your worn (but not dead) running shoes and get a set of these: http://www.sportiva.com/products/footwear/accessories/at-hobnail-kit.
Personally I’ve had good luck with the VFF KSO Trek at temps below freezing (kangaroo leather awesome!).
For winter I use the same shoes I run in during the summer. Take 1/8" sheet metal screws and set them into the bottom of the shoe. the screw head will dig into any ice or snow and no slip. Total cost was about .90. Cant beat those for traction in the unpredictable Wisconsin winters.
"and unlike screws, you can just pull them on or off halfway through a run if need be. "
I found the Yak Trax felt weird when running on hard surfaces. The screws don’t feel any different. I can’t think of any reason you would want to take them off halfway through a run unless your route took you across hardwood floors.
I’m thinking about these.
Here is a tip for a really great winter running shoe brand.
This is what i use for my winter running
Winter in the northern part of sweden is LOOONG.
http://www.icebug.se/Product.aspx?m=456
These are the BOMB!!!
I can go through anything in these all winter long and my feet will be bone dry and super warm.