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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Gear Review: Studded Snow Tires For Your Feet - Winter Footwear

Another week, another ice storm. That's what New Yorkers, like myself, have faced since Christmas. But this week is different. No, the streets are not ice free. In fact, they're slicker than ever, thanks to a recent snowstorm that dumped five-plus inches, followed by rain, followed by sub-freezing temperatures. No, this week is different because I feel like shouting "Houston, We have traction," in the fashion of a successful NASA mission. You're probably wondering if all this snow has frozen my brain. My glee comes from a product I decided to review that, as they say, puts "studded snow tires" on my feet! Welcome to the world of the STABILicers Lite Walker by 32North.

These are made of ultra light rubber with steel cleats. The boots I tend to wear all winter are North Face and, though they are comfy and warm no matter how low the mercury drops, the sole doesn't grip packed snow or ice. In fact, I feel like I've been wearing ice skates this winter.

With friends and colleagues falling in the middle of busy streets and on ice-coated sidewalks, I jumped at the opportunity to test this product this week when the sidewalks were the iciest. And that's why I've been declaring "We've got traction."

It takes seconds to pull the cleats on over the sole of my boots (or shoes) and seconds to remove them, roll them up and tuck them in my bag.  In fact, they're so light, I forgot they were in my bag. While wearing them -- and they come in five different colors -- I walked confidently at my usual brisk pace over hard-packed snow and ice while those around me, of course, fell. No problem wearing them on asphalt or dirt, either. The big problem, though, is that you can't walk across any polished surface, like tile or marble. The cardboard insert did mention this, but I somehow didn't read it and accidentally walked across a sidewalk surface that was polished. Bad news. Very slippery. But that's the only caveat with this product that I intend to carry with me until spring. Ice storm in spring? I sure hope not.

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