Want to Go Running in the Snow? These Two Products Make It Possible (Without You Biting It)
Icebug DTS BUGrip OutDry
Confession: I love being out in the snow. Granted, I’d prefer if the temperature is above freezing, but there’s something so peaceful about being outdoors in the winter. That said, it’s hard to be at peace when you’re constantly worried that a wrong step is going to land you on your fit bottom. So when a pair of Icebug DTS BUGrip OutDry landed on our doorstep in my size just a few days after a nice snowfall, I was ready to try them.
Designed for trail running and totally waterproof, these are made for walking and running in the snow and ice. The sole is made of a special rubber compound that has about 15 integrated steel studs that dynamically dig into the terrain you’re running on — even pushing in harder when you need more resistance and easing up when you’re on, say, pavement.
I figured that these would be pretty awesome and give good traction, but I’m a bit of a klutz. So, I took it easy for the first bit of my first jog out in these. But after a couple hundred meters, I was sold. No matter what I ran on — the bare street, slick ice, powdery snow — these had me moving easily. (Although I will say that running on pavement in these is kind of weird — you feel slightly elevated and you make a lot of racket as the studs clank against the ground.) No slippage, no falling, no biting it though. It was sweet running-in-snow freedom!
My feet stayed totally dry and relatively warm, and they allowed me to run anywhere for as long as my lungs allowed. The shoe itself was pretty comfortable, too. They’re not as comfy as my favorite pair of Brooks Running shoes, but they had nice cushion and support while still being fairly light, especially considering that the bottom of the shoe is lined with steel studs.
Now, these are anything but cheap at $175+ on Amazon right now, but if you avoid the treadmill at all costs and get a lot of snow each winter, I totally think it’s worth the investment! (And Icebug says that even if you lose a steel stud or two through use, they’re still effective.) And, I mean, you can’t also discount the cuteness of the Icebug logo throughout the shoe. Who knew bugs could be so fit?