Anyone run wearing Yaktrax?

I used them last year through some snow storms but only when there was no pavement exposure at all.

I prefer the 3/8" sheet metal screws in the bottom of my pegasus. Much less bulky, still good durability and grip.

I definitely think they've been a worthwhile purchase, but I agree with the above poster. Only wear them when the run is going to be almost entirely covered in ice and snow as running on pavement with them is pretty uncomfortable.

Exactly five years ago I did (I think). They were a bit of work to put on my trainers but worked great. They need to be adjusted (re secured) slightly every so often but that takes under a minute. Be careful with your ankles, having the added foot implements can scratch them inadvertently , etc. Wearing them made me feel very devoted and runnerly, in the best of ways. I had used For gravel and trail interwoven with well covered asphalt. I still have my old trainers with them still on but haven't used. My foot size grew since then. Back then it didn't seem there were so many products, so it did work for uncertain snow semi ice footing. You still ought to be careful with ice tho.

John Clendon nailed it.

or screwed it?

at any rate, forget yaktrax. 3/8" sheet metal screws in the bottom of your shoes is the absolute best solution for these conditions. i run in my screwshoes nearly every day... works fine on pavement, and much better than yaktrax on packed snow. even on ice, better than yaktrax (though not magic, ice is still ice).

I had a pair a couple years ago. One of them broke after 1 winter -- so maybe 10 runs? I'm not so sure they are worth it even when they weren't broken. they will grip the snow well enough, but the snow it grips will just slide on the snow below it. Also, as mentioned above they are really only helpful directly after a snowstorm. 24hrs after the snow has stopped most sidewalks are clear and you wouldn't want to wear them.

bradley strider wrote:

John Clendon nailed it.

or screwed it?

at any rate, forget yaktrax. 3/8" sheet metal screws in the bottom of your shoes is the absolute best solution for these conditions. i run in my screwshoes nearly every day... works fine on pavement, and much better than yaktrax on packed snow. even on ice, better than yaktrax (though not magic, ice is still ice).

Give us some details on how you use the 3/8" sheet metal screws. For instance, do you place the screws in the same positions as spikes on a track shoe? If not, where do place the screws, and how many do you use? How much of the screw should protrude from the bottom of the shoe? Do you do anything to hold the screws in place, other than just screw them through the bottom of the shoe?

Thanks.

Thanks for all of the feedback. My neighborhood currently is a mix of snow, ice, and pavement. It's impossible to find any lengthy area that is a consistent surface.

I'll try the Yaktrax tomorrow and move to the side of the road where the plowed snow resides when I come to a patch of pavement. Maybe that'll work.

For the conditions you describe, everyday spikes are the best. Very good on pavement.

https://www.non-slip-ice-grips.co.uk/shop/everyday-ice-spikes

similar to track spikes, yes. but i move them closer to the perimeter, with a few more, maybe 10ish. remember you're looking for bite when you land and push off both, so depending on your footstrike, customize.

they go all the way in, to the flange, no more no less. i try to bite the carbon rubber - haven't done it with a foam sole like the frees or lunartempo. (but then again, why would you wear those in these conditions?)

i usually try to keep a pair of shoes from the fall/early winter, with a little life left in them, so that by march they can be tossed.

Every winter I find a few single yak tracks abandoned on the local running trail. I'm not sure if they came off and the owner didn't notice or if it broke so badly that he gave up trying to put it back on. But either way the runner would continue with only one on. Weird. Screw shoes do the job for me - I can run on sheet ice with them and they're OK on pavement, just noisy.

when I was given Yaktrax, I used them just a very few times before one snapped and tore my sweatpants. Not that it's relevant to me anymore, because I'm in FL but how do you install the screws on regular running shoes?

Google "screw shoes" to find the sky runner site where how to is explained in detail. In short, you screw in the screw until the head is flush with the sole so that the head of the screw forms the cleat. It's easy.

Screw shoes are more reliable than Yaktrax (no breaking rubber straps), let you run close to normal, are better on dry pavement, and are very cheap.

If you want to splurge, Icespikes are the fancy and more durable version of screwshoes.

http://www.icespike.com/

I bought Icespikes a couple of winters ago and have moved them to a new pair of shoes each winter.

The drawback with screwshoes is that if you are running somewhere you will need to go indoors you have to take extra shoes because screwshoes will tear up indoor flooring.

I have Yaktrax for walking places in the winter because you can just take them off when you get where you are going.

I did run some 800m stretches on the trail too fast according to my dismal fitness the other day, and {yakked} in my {"tracks."} I had to {wear} my shame and lunch figuratively and literally as a part of me got hung out to dry, until I {tracked} my way back to the gym locker room for a change of clothes, a warm shower and some fluids. Coming to {grips}with a need to balance fitness and daily moderation and obligations.

Ok, today was my first jog wearing Yaktrax. We had a few additional inches of snow overnight, so the surfaces were mostly snow or ice-covered snow with a bit of bare pavement.

I thought they worked quite well. I did skid a couple times when I came across some ice hidden by the snow, but overall they did pretty much what I was hoping for. They even worked well during the brief periods where I had to run on pavement. Admittedly my pace was not much better than my last run without Yaktrax (about 10% slower than usual), but my confidence in staying upright was increased and I did less tiptoeing.

It's only been one day and I am admittedly a jogger, but so far I'm glad I bought them. If I was trying to do 6:00 miles with them, I think I'd have to be sure there was no ice, only snow.

Thanks again for all of the feedback.