YakTrax for running?

Im_NotPerfect
Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello! I was just reading about YakTrax and thought they'd be a good idea for me to get for running this winter. The problem I have is that website says they're good to use for temps down to 41F. I'm in North Eastern Wisconsin...I'm already running in cooler temps than that, much less when we get snow. Can they be used in colder weather than that??

Replies

  • speedyf
    speedyf Posts: 1,571 Member
    Hello!! :wink:

    They are much tougher than that! I used YakTrax all winter long last year - temperature varies from -5 to -30C during the winter in my area - and I loved them, and they were working great! I tried another brand, but they definitely were not the same quality. I worn out a pair last winter, so I bought two pair of YakTrax for this coming season. Great product! I would never run without them!
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    Do you feel them much when you run? I'm REALLY worried about running in snow/ice this winter (bad history there...), so I'd like to try these!!
  • Bossit
    Bossit Posts: 118 Member
    I live in Canada, its gonna get super cold and snowy here. I'll prob grab a pair too. Are they comfortable to run in?
    What if my path is mostly concrete and im just worried about the occasional patch of ice?
  • brandyk77
    brandyk77 Posts: 605 Member
    I have tried these and if you aren't running exclusively on packed ice/snow, they are not comfortable IMHO
  • kaajay
    kaajay Posts: 62 Member
    website says they're good to use for temps down to 41F.

    HI!!! I was reading the description for YakTrax and wanted to correct your statement.... it says -41. (negative 41 F), so you should be good to go with these if you're up to it. I'm not one to know anything about it since I'm in Southern California which is currently experiencing a heat wave.... good luck! :)
  • speedyf
    speedyf Posts: 1,571 Member
    I run on snow, roads that are not plowed, and very often on ice, and I hardly feel them at all. I went one time without them... Worst decision ever! If you do get them, just make sure you grab the right size; you have to take into account that it will go underneath a pair of running shoes, and not a pair of winter boots... The other brand, the tip was always slipping underneath my feet. I had to stop every 1/4 mile to put them back. I finally throw them in the garbage!
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    website says they're good to use for temps down to 41F.

    HI!!! I was reading the description for YakTrax and wanted to correct your statement.... it says -41. (negative 41 F), so you should be good to go with these if you're up to it. I'm not one to know anything about it since I'm in Southern California which is currently experiencing a heat wave.... good luck! :)

    HA! You know what? The "-" is on the line before it so I took it as a hyphen, not a negative sign! :laugh: Thank you for the correction! :flowerforyou:
  • FatUncleRob
    FatUncleRob Posts: 341
    Do you feel them much when you run? I'm REALLY worried about running in snow/ice this winter (bad history there...), so I'd like to try these!!

    I'm probably just a chicken, but I think I'd move inside to a treadmill / track. :embarassed:
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    Do you feel them much when you run? I'm REALLY worried about running in snow/ice this winter (bad history there...), so I'd like to try these!!

    I'm probably just a chicken, but I think I'd move inside to a treadmill / track. :embarassed:

    I probably would if I had access to one! :frown:
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
    I've used them for walking my dogs, not running. I HATE them on straight concrete/asphalt but they are fantastic for ice/light snow cover.

    I've volunteered at winter races (in Minnesota, so quite cold) and people run with them and love them.

    This will be my first winter running/training and I think I'll do a combo of field house indoor tracks and treadmills because I've cracked my kneecap falling on ice in the past and the recovery time was ridiculous and the pain...
  • speedyf
    speedyf Posts: 1,571 Member
    Do you feel them much when you run? I'm REALLY worried about running in snow/ice this winter (bad history there...), so I'd like to try these!!

    I'm probably just a chicken, but I think I'd move inside to a treadmill / track. :embarassed:

    Once you ran outside during winter time and that the hot summer's back, you just wish for the cold (or cooler) weather to come back! Running outside, just after a snowstorm... it's magic! Running outside on ice... makes you run with short strides, which is perfect for long runs and endurance. Running outside on snowy mornings... just awesome! Running outside at, very often, -20C (-3F)... everything's so quiet, and when you're coming back home, you only sweat a little bit.

    I know... I'm not normal. :laugh: But our winters around here are, well.... very cold, very rainy, very warm, you have to shovel (great calorie killer by the way) every day and/or mix all of the above in the same winter. So I had to get use to run outside since I can't stand being in a gym!
  • connorsludge
    connorsludge Posts: 35 Member
    Live in Colorado, so YakTrax are part of my winter running outfit. They are pretty comfortable when running in snow, ice, and especially refreeze, which is a huge problem here because the days are warm and sunny.

    I found that if I'm running on concrete, they mess up my gait, so if the snow and ice are patchy I usually opt for trail running shoes instead.

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