Tungsten Carbide Studdes Shoes for Icy Winter

Until recently, most winter walkers and runners had two options when it came to battling icy winter trails. One could either put screws in the bottom of their running shoes or invest in a quality pair of ice grips. But now, there came out the new tungsten carbide studded shoes with the studs on the bottom of the shoe to prevent people from slipping and falling.

Screws are more economical and easy to put it. Screws can be purchased at any local hardware store and most runners opt to use sheet metal screws with hex heads. The hex heads grip well on ice as the head of the screw has a lip that digs into the ice and packed snow, providing for better traction. The only tricky part is not screwing too far into the sole and punching through the rubber and into the foot bed of the shoe. This would not be wise and would be the equivalent of standing on a bed of nails.
For those who don’t want to risk studding their own shoes, Skinny Raven will put them in for you for a minimal charge of $10.
Ice grips tend to be more expensive but won’t ruin your sneakers by leaving small holes in the bottom — this is a concern for springtime running when conditions are wet and the potential exists for water to seep into your shoes. Ice grips however are not the most comfortable to run in and are prone to slipping off. Many a runner has come across a rogue ice grip lying in the middle of the trail, seemingly lonely without its matching twin.

Fortunately, another option has recently become available for winter running enthusiasts. Tungsten carbide studded and enhanced friction grip sneakers. Ideal for those running or walking on packed snow and ice, these sneakers come pre-studded with tungsten carbide studs — the same type of studs used on car tires. These studs are supposed to last longer and provide enhanced traction in the wettest and slipperiest of conditions. In addition, these sneakers typically come with an enhanced traction rubber sole that claims to provide the flexible sole needed by runners without sacrificing comfort.

A quick Internet search reveals a number of sneaker companies have now begun to market tungsten carbide studded running shoes to their customers. Brands include Icebug, Salomon, and Asics. All have between 16 and 18 screws in various patterns along the outsole of the shoe and incorporated into the tread.

Like with all things, there are pros and cons to each option. One on hand, I can stud my existing sneakers for about $5-10. My sneakers are already broken in and comfortable and I don’t have to shell out another $100-plus for a new pair of sneakers — at least not for a few more months. After a winter of running on tungsten carbide studded sneakers people typically have to buy a new pair come spring.

The advantage of buying a pair of pre-studded sneakers such as IceBug is that I will have a pair of quality sneakers for winter while saving my other pair for my spring/summer running.

The traction method of choice is personal to each runner, but no matter what option one chooses the goal is the same for everyone: to not slip and fall.


Tungsten Carbide Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.tungsten-carbide.com.cn
Tel.: 86 592 5129696; Fax: 86 592 5129797
Email: sales@chinatungsten.com
Tungsten & Molybdenum Information Bank: http://i.chinatungsten.com
Tungsten News & Tungsten Prices, 3G Version: http://3g.chinatungsten.com
Molybdenum News & Molybdenum Price: http://news.molybdenum.com.cn

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