Hmm. the icebug site looks interesting. Gotta believe the swedes know what winter running is all about.
These are the BOMB!!!
http://www.saucony.com/...tTabId=&viewall=
I can go through anything in these all winter long and my feet will be bone dry and super warm.
I agree that these shoes will keep plenty of warmth inside and all elements outside providing you don’t step in a puddle over the top! Picked up a pair last year and they are a great shoe. For me, they aren’t ideal because I sweat pretty bad and the heel feels a bit high, but no fault of the shoe. There is no water proof fabric that keeps up with my sweat.
I’ve run in bitter Canadian winters in -30 temps using the same shoes as I do in the summer, the only difference is I use a thick wool sock.
I just wear the same shoes for the Chicago winters, just screwing in 5-6 stainless sheet metal screws to the sole for added traction. You can sorta feel they’re there, and they make a funny crunching sound on dry pavement, but they don’t seem to bother my stride any.
I’ll also swap my regular thin socks for thicker, taller wool socks. Good to go!
"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.
LOL.
Agreed, the screw shoes are fine - frankly they are overkill unless it’s really icy out.
I wear normal run shoes most of the time in winter. Will break down and wear trail run shoes if snow gets a bit deeper.
I own yak trax, but they are kind of a pain - would pretty much only use them on trails.
The real equipment issues for winter running relate to keeping the fingers, toes, and Mr. Happy from getting frostnip.
You cover those bases, the rest mostly takes care of itself.
Throw a pair of gaiters over your shoes and your feet will stay warm and dry. As far as traction goes, running in slick/icy conditions does wonders for your core and all of those little stabilizer muscles that we, amateur athletes, tend to ignore. If the snow makes for sloppier conditions, a pair of lugged trail shoes like the salomon speedcross or inov-8 x-talon will make your life a lot easier.
These are the BOMB!!!
http://www.saucony.com/...tTabId=&viewall=
I can go through anything in these all winter long and my feet will be bone dry and super warm.
I agree that these shoes will keep plenty of warmth inside and all elements outside providing you don’t step in a puddle over the top! Picked up a pair last year and they are a great shoe. For me, they aren’t ideal because I sweat pretty bad and the heel feels a bit high, but no fault of the shoe. There is no water proof fabric that keeps up with my sweat.
That would have to be one deep ass puddle to go over the top of those shoes. I have gone through one that went up about 3/4 of the shoes and still dry as a bone.
Interesting so many people like these particular Sauconys. I would not rush out and order a pair.
They had boxes & boxes on sale in a local store last year for $80 or so and they still didn’t sell. They seemed really cool.
I tried a pair and the fit was terrible. I didn’t get the lacing system at all.
The employee helping me said that was the main problem. They fit very few people who tried them (And all other Sauconys I have worn have fit me fine: Guides, Rides, A2s & Kinvaras). So beware.
Studded shoes and studded tires on training bike, is nice to have when winter is 7 month long. And they are cheaper then my summer equipment.
Best to simply avoid running outside in the MN winter. Use a treadmill, watch TV and oh yeah, stay warm and comfortable.
Best to simply avoid running outside in the MN winter. Use a treadmill, watch TV and oh yeah, stay warm and comfortable.
This is terrible advice. You would miss some of the best running MN has to offer. Bundle up and go for a run outside.
I go play hockey outside all bundled up, running bundled up just doesn’t do it for me.
I ran through a rather nasty NE winter last year in the All Weather Newtons. More snow than MN, but not quite the cold. Fresh snow was no issue once I got the hang of the “Newton Slide” down the hills. Ice was a pain, but just took it easy. Nothing special with respect to socks, although since I can no longer get the All Weather version of newtons, I may look into something slightly warmer. Outside of that, it was tights, vest, arm warmers. On the real cold days, I did end up putting wool socks on over my hands.
As a fellow MN I will say the shoe matters more depending on the location/surface of the run. Running on roads/sidewalks/multi-use trails I simply run in my same old shoes from the summer. I heed Murphy’s Law’s advice and worry more about keeping a few other specific protions of my anatomy warm.
If it transitions to an off-road type adventure on packed snow or even looser snow, then I would worry about gators or yaktrax or trail shoes. For that I generally pull out the trail shoes.
Oh, and I consider winter running the epitome of base building. No speed work outside in the winter. If I want to run fast for some oddball reason I then would head indoor to the treadmill.
Enjoy the serenity and beauty of being the first set of footprints in freshly falling snow on a tree covered trail. That is what running is all about to me.
I will definitely run outside here in the winter. Nothing in the world like that crunch sound! I also agree it’s ideal base training.