
Mount to Coast
H1
Versatile road-to-trail, but struggles on wet, technical downhills.

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I’m a trail runner that lives up in the Colorado mountains, I use normal trail shoes on the icy/snowy roads we have. I have goretex shoes but rarely use them since my feet somehow don’t get wet despite running in snow. If you have a lot of ice you can get these spikes that attach to your shoes for traction. Just lookup “nano spikes” as an option. You can also get shoes with spikes built in, Salomon has a spiked version of their speed cross shoes. Norda makes a spiked shoe. Both of these options have gorged uppers. I avoid spikes unless the entire path I’m running has snow and ice, if there are stretches of just bare road I’ll just run in trail shoes more carefully since spikes on asphalt feels like hot garbage. You can also make your own spike shoes. Some runners put screws through an old pair of shoes (road or trail works). They do it so the tip of the screw is sticking out of the sole of the shoe and that will help with traction. Obviously removing insole first and screw from inside the shoe to the bottom and pick screws that will stick out a bit when flush with the bottom of the shoe so you don’t feel it with your feet. You can also get water proof spays/coatings like never-wet and spray the outside of the shoe for added water protection. Hope that helps, I would just try out your existing shoes to make sure there is a problem to be solved. I find that just having good balance is a bigger thing than the shoes, that is unless it’s smooth ice, then it’s time for spikes.
my husband and I have worn IceBugs for years here in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont where the dirt roads are frozen or snowpacked every winter. We also run on the snowpacked snowmobile trails during the week when there are few snowmobiles out. I switched to Salomon Spikecross 6 shoes last year, the material on tops of my old IceBugs had ripped through. the unisex Salomon have a wider toe box which is a better fit for me with winter socks. another issue is putting them on in our warm kitchen and not scratching up the floor with the spikes, so we have throw rugs down from bench to door. We love our spiked running shoes, those yaktracks break, create an uneven step and foot issues.
Yes, but they are close. The Salomon have a better toe flex for running, the IceBugs seemed heavier and stiffer, also the Salomon have slightly longer spikes or maybe my old icebug spikes had worn down a lot.
we live in northern Vermont, we dress warm and wear running shoes made for ice, salomon spikecross 6. my husband wears Icebug winter running shoes. they have good spikes and we don't slip.
I used Hoka Mafates for my winter running. They grip well in snow and ice. For more extreme weather.I have a pair of Salomon Spike Cross shoes
+1 for Salomon here. I got a pair of Spikecross this year because the paths are so much icier in Minnesota than the past few winters. In a mild winter, nanospikes (better than microspikes or yaktrax) are okay for occasional use. But after a few runs in a row (or a long run), the pressure points under foot are uncomfortable. The Salomon shoes are basically just their popular Speedcross plus goretex and some small embedded spikes. Great traction in snow. Good traction on all but the craziest of ice. Not great on dry or just wet pavement, but that’s to be expected with the carbide spikes. Overall, I’m glad I finally got dedicated spiked shoes; I’ve already put nearly a hundred miles on them this season. Now if it’d just get back above 0F, I’d be back outside running again.
Just ordered the Spikecross since it’s on sale on Salomon’s Austrian site!
When I was living in Russia I didn't do any VO2 workouts from October to April. Also I was free to cancel any tempo run or adjust pace due to the weather conditions. I did a lot of trail running. I also enjoyed cross country skiing in lieu of running. I never ran when it was colder than -25, but that happened rarely. Basically you just build your base for the summer workouts. Also shoes with small spikes, like Salomon Spikecross or IceBug were helpful.

Mount to Coast
H1
Versatile road-to-trail, but struggles on wet, technical downhills.

Altra
Lone Peak Series
Spacious toe box, but cushioning and durability are polarizing.

La Sportiva
Prodigio Series
Great technical grip, but unstable for some, with sizing issues.

Nike
Pegasus Trail Series
Versatile for non-technical trails, but poor on wet, technical.

Mount to Coast
T1
Lightweight, cushioned; but lacing and underfoot protection are issues.

Ranked #1
Salomon - Speedcross Series

Ranked #1
Hoka - Speedgoat Series

Ranked #1
Mount to Coast - H1

Ranked #1
Salomon - Genesis Series

Ranked #1
La Sportiva - Prodigio Series

Ranked #1
Mount to Coast - H1