Safely Walking on Icy Surfaces

As I walk in cold climates where icy streets are the norm, I’m always

observing how people walk on slippery surfaces. Many people break
their shoulder, arm, wrist or hip when falling on a slick sidewalk.
There are some things you can do to reduce the risk of falling.

Here are a few:

Don’t walk with your hands in your pockets. Instead, keep your
arms by your side.

Take small steps and keep your weight forward, on the front of your foot,

rather than leaning back or putting your weight on the back of your foot

Look for parallel surfaces, such as sand, grass, snow or even gravel, that

are not slippery and that you can safely navigate to your destination.

When stepping off a curb, do so cautiously, placing your foot straight down,

rather than taking a big step far from the curb, which can place you off balance.

When walking down outdoor steps, especially steep, long ones that are

found at many outdoor metro stations, always hold the rail.

Wear shoes or boots that have great traction. I’ve written about a company that sells shoes and boots with tiny cleats, such as Ice Bug.

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Gear Review: Stylish Winter Boots with Traction on Ice

When the temperatures drop and the sidewalk and other surfaces are coated with ice and snow, I turn to shoes and boots manufactured by Ice Bug, a Sweden-based company that strives for sustainability. What makes their footwear unique is that many of them have soles with studs that allow for slip-free brisk walking, running or hiking on icy/snowy terrain. One of their most popular boots is the Metro 2 BUGrip, a trademark name for the carbide steel studs imbedded in the outsole. (The traction system is referred to as dynamic, meaning that it adapts to the surface and the amount of pressure your foot exerts on the ground. Each stud is acting independently.) The shoe is stylish with a side zipper; it’s water-repellent, insulated, and allows me to easily walk on most any outdoor surfaces thanks to the stable grip. Of course, once I transition indoors with these boots, I have to remain vigilant, walking carefully on marble or tile flooring because steel studs do not mix well with these slick surfaces. That's the only downside to these boots, but then any studded shoe would have the same problem

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Good Looking Winter Boots With Traction

So here I sit at my home in a New York City suburb where three feet of snow awaits just outside my door. Now three days post blizzard, the streets of the city are swirling in ice water, the bus stops are piled with five feet of snow, and the sidewalks are a slick, slippery mess. People slide and drop to the asphalt around me. But I jog -- yes, you heard correctly -- past ‘em. In fact, on the night of the blizzard when there was a travel ban, turning our frenetic traffic-laden avenues into desolate corridors, I chose to jog a couple of miles literally in the middle of Madison Avenue. Because how often can you do that and do it safely?

I managed to not only stay upright but move speedily down snowy, icy streets thanks to my new IceBug boots that have a special traction technology. (My boot model is the RYUMZ BUGrip.) The traction depends on BUGrip, a trademark name for the numerous (16 to be exact) carbide steel tip studs imbedded in the rubber outsole. The traction system is referred to as dynamic, meaning that it adapts to the surface and the amount of pressure your foot exerts on the ground. (Each stud is acting independently. How cool.)

The boot is so light and comfortable -- it’s lined with fleece -- that it doesn’t resemble any winter boot I’ve ever worn. It rolls well as you walk or job, making it easy for me to stay fit in the winter. And it looks good -- as good as you can look when trying to withstand brutal conditions. I’ve worn them with Merino wool sweater dresses to various networking events and no one had a clue my boots had steel cleats. (They look pretty ordinary.)

I’ve tested the boot on asphalt, ice and snow and found it provided a completely stable grip. But, of course, once I walk indoors across varied surfaces like tile or marble, I had to either walk very carefully or take the boots off. (This is completely expected with steel studs.)

My boot is said to insulate to -4F. But, during the morning of the blizzard when I waited in a snow bank for more than an hour, not only were my feet not toasty, they were quite cool. Nonetheless, standing immobile in a snow bank may be an extreme situation for the IceBug insulating system. Under other conditions, the boots kept my feet comfortable.

As far as waterproofness is concerned, the boot is supposed to be 100% waterproof and breathable. And, while my feet didn’t sweat when I’m wearing them even for 10+ hours a day, there were times -- as I crossed a river of ice water on Park Avenue -- when my socks got wet. (It’s hard to say if the water entered through the slip-on opening or through the fabric itself.)

Despite these caveats, the IceBug now rates as my favorite winter boot. And, if the weather continues to be inclement, I may be wearing them until spring.

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