Traction Devices for Winter Trail Running

By Bill Wright, La Sportiva Running Team Member

One of my favorite trails runs is Shadow Canyon to the summit of South Boulder Peak, the highest mountain above Boulder, Colorado. I like it because of the solitude it provides, versus the more popular and much wimpier Bear Peak and Green Mountain. Of course, only the wimpiest of the wimpy do Flagstaff or Sanitas, but I digress.

Shadow Canyon is very steep and very rocky and, truth be told, I have to power hike a good portion of it and when I can actually run, my speed is less than awe-inspiring. But the descents are kamikaze affairs, as winter turns the trail into a treacherous experience that can be more like a mountaineering outing than a trail run on the ascent, and an Olympic Downhill on the descent (at least in my fantasies). There can be thigh-deep snow, hard wind pack, glare water ice, and hard boot-packed snow over various sections.

So what do I do? Sit at home with a box of Ho-Ho's watching American Idol? Certainly, and although my Tivo allows watching at any time of day, I prefer doing that live. Oh, the excitement!

So, where was I? Ah, yes, treacherous trail running conditions. In an effort to diminish my holiday Buddha belly, I've forced myself up South Boulder Peak's 2,700 foot climb six times in the previous eleven days. Vanilla trail running shoes would have been treacherous. Full boots and crampons would be too heavy to actually run.; if you are running, you want to be in running shoes. So let's review the traction options for running shoes in winter conditions. In order of price, here are your options:

Nothing ($0)

This is by far the most common option and it usually results in people not running the trails at all or running and getting injured in a fall. Some elite runners, like Adam Chase, claim that if you really know what you are doing and just stay in balance, all you need is a good trail running shoe. This is completely bunk, of course. On a very steep trail with patches of water ice, using the "staying in balance" technique will land you on your ass, if you're lucky.

Hex-Head Machine Screws ($3, with some assembly)

De rigueur on the Boulder trails. Trail running legend Matt Carpenter has a complete tutorial on the screw shoe here: http://www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm. For most people this is the way to go. It's super cheap and very easy to install, if you use a hex-head driver and a cordless drill. The screws are useless in soft snow, but for soft snow a show with an aggressive trail running tread such as on the Crosslight is the best: (LINK). On level ground with hard packed snow or on ice, machine screws work great. They weigh nothing and provide very good grip. Running on the roads with these screws is bad, and even on rocks isn't good. Worse, if you use too long of screws (1/2" in the toebox, longer in the heel), then that sharp, stabbing pain you feel would be a metal screw penetrating your foot. If you use too short of a screw (1/4") then they will soon fall out of your outsole. Replacing the screws is easy, but re-using the same hole makes it even easier for them to fall out. Some people have used epoxy to combat this problem and I'm sure that would help, but that might be too much work.

Advanced Traction Hobnail Kits by La Sportiva ($40, with some assembly)

These kits were offered by C.A.M.P. but have been discontinued. They are made by a company in Italy and now imported by La Sportiva North America. The kit comes with a special screwdriver and 20 hobnails for $40. Replacement hobnails can be had for $16 for 10 of them - much more expensive than hex screws, which can be had for $3 per 100. These clearly have been custom designed expressedly for use as a traction device, as the tips have sharp points while the screw end is very broad for holding in soft rubber. They can be ordered via the website.

Boulder trail runner Doug Zirkle swears by these babies, saying "They're so light you barely notice them, and if you install them in the right pattern they're fabulous on ice and hardpack. I like them a lot when the terrain will be mixed as well, since they're fine on dirt, snow, and ice, and more than tolerable for relatively short periods on pavement if necessary." Zirkle points out that the broad surface area of the threads is much greater than a hex screw, and are therefore much more secure in the outsole. In fact, he has never lost a single hobnail.

Yaktrax ($36)

If you are using these to walk out your front door to the mailbox and back; great, otherwise forget it. I've had two pairs of these and destroyed them both in short order (3-4 runs each). The rubber breaks, the coils break, and they come off the front of my shoe. On one run I looked down when I noticed I had lost traction and had the Yaktrax completely off the front of my shoe. It's too bad, really, because they did feel pretty effective for the limited time they were in one piece.

To be fair, some runners like these and have had much better durability out of them, but they must run only in pure snow conditions. The "Pro" version is mandatory. On hard ice, rocks, and dirt (and there is usually a mixture of this when running trails in winter in Colorado), the Yaktrax will simply not hold up. If you run rocky trails, I firmly believe these are not an option for you. The testimonials on the company website bear this out - they are all from walkers and not from runners and certainly not rocky trail runners.

STABILicers ($20 - 60, depending upon version and store)

There are Pro and Lite versions of these, but both look to be pretty bulky deals. Basically, they are an over shoe with hex screws (or spikes) installed. I have not used or seen these devices on the trails.

duenorth All Purpose Traction Aids ($19)

Kahtoola Microspikes ($59)

These are my traction devices of choice for steep and icy trails. They weight 10-14 ounces depending upon the size (XS, S, M, L). They are steel and, so far, are unfazed by anything I've tried them on. On steep, hard snow or ice, these things are the bomb and the best device going. They do add 5 ounces per shoe, but that wasn't a noticeable problem for me, but I weight 170 pounds and don't bound effortlessly along regardless.

There are no adjustments with these spikes. They have to fit on your shoe snugly to prevent them from being pulled off the shoe. I wear size medium on my size 9 shoes and they are very secure - they've never come off. My buddy wore the same size medium on size 10.5 shoes and they were even more secure, and still without any pressure points. Size 11-12 might be a problem in getting a good fit, while size 12 and up would proved a good fit with size large.

Another potential drawback that I've heard with these spikes is snow balling up underneath them in soft, wet conditions. This is indeed a problem with regular crampons while climbing, so I'm not that surprised. In those conditions, I probably wouldn't bother with a traction device like this and just use a shoe with an aggressive tread.

Kahtoola Aluminum Crampons ($139)

These are renowned devices and the gold standard for lightweight alpine ascents, but complete overkill for trail running, even though they are definitely light enough to run in without problems. They are easily adjustable to any size shoe, but I don't prefer them over the Microspikes for two reasons.

First, these are aluminum and wear quickly over rocks. There is a steel version of these crampons, but the aluminum ones already weigh 19 ounces, almost 50% more than the Microspikes, which are steel. The second reason is cost. While these babies are awesome for lightweight summer mountaineering, at $139 they are expensive for a running traction device.

Specialty Shoes ($150+)

Some running shoes, like the Swedish Ice Bugs, come with built-in studs, that are similar to the Gripper studs you can install yourself. These shoes are pricey at $150 or so, but if they fit your foot, then the cost is only about $50 more than a regular running shoe, so definitely an option.