For many minimalist runners, running in the winter, especially if you get a lot of heavy ice storms where the roads, trails, grass, dirt paths, you name it, become a solid, sheer sheet of thick ice! This can be a complicated and unsafe scenario for any runner, especially minimalist runners because finding that perfect fully-winterized, fully traction-oriented barefoot-like running shoe is hard to come by on the basis of that there isn’t a lot of those types of minimalist running shoes around!
Not to mention, minimalist running shoes that are fully winterized can be very pricey and of course, like all running shoes, the outsole, even if its fully armed with high-quality dependable treads, eventually wears down and you no longer get reliable traction when you need it the most.
Luckily, a much cheaper and dependable option is to strap on winter traction aids, like the Due North G3 Everyday wearable spikes, to the soles of your minimalist shoe which will give you a double win as these spikes give you long-lasting, robustly-durable aggressive traction and are inexpensive.
The DueNorth winter traction aids fits easily and comfortable on most, not all, but most minimalist running shoes. They fit the best on minimalist running shoes with a little more beefy, rock-sturdy structure like the NimbleToes, the Lems Shoes Primal 2, Skora running shoes and the Altra Escalante.
What makes the DueNorth’s so beneficial and effective for the minimalist runner who runs outdoors during the winter?
The DueNorth winter traction aids are a combination of a clutchy, fantastically thin layer of soft, flexible, responsive rubber with 6 tiny, low-profile metal lugs. While they don’t look like much and
puts very little material between your foot and the ground, the DueNorth ice cleats strongly delivers a robust mega-grip, without the added bulk, and ultimately does a premium job at firmly gripping anything in your path when winter conditions become treacherous!
What is more is that there are so many functional aspects to the DueNorth snow and ice cleats that easily enables you to secure and sustain effective forefoot strike running mechanics in the snow.
For one, the DueNorth spikes have a lot minimalistic characteristics, which will go over great with the barefoot/ultra-minimalist crowd! The spikes are thin, flat, flexible and form-fitting, keeping your foot in close contact with the ground, like your minimalist shoe, and allows you to feel your foot-ground interactions, thereby making it easier to uphold good forefoot running form when poor conditions arise!
How do you put the DueNorth’s on? The placement is very quick and simple! Just hook the front of the spikes over the very front of your shoe …..
…..then pull the spikes underneath the entire length of the sole of the shoe…..
….and end with hooking the back portion of the spikes over the back of your heel….
….and presto! You’re all set to go!
Another functional feature of the DueNorth ice cleats is they are completely non-obstructive and adaptable in their fit. They are super bendy and bend whichever way your foot wants to go. They’re flexible enough to flex where your foot flexes and are expandable enough throughout to faithfully allow natural expansion of the foot.
They are also expandable enough throughout to faithfully allow natural expansion of the foot and doesn’t interfere with natural spreading of the toes which altogether keeps the foot participating more fully in reinforcing better balance control, putting you on safer ground.
In terms of their overall fit and feel, the DueNorth spikes fits and cinches snug at the front and back of your shoe without any pressure points along the way and without any added bulk either. They also feel comfortable throughout the underfoot and really give an uncluttered, lightweight smooth feel.
The spikes never shift around and always stay securely in place because of the way they tightly wrap around your shoe’s outsole coupled with the spikes sticky rubber compound locks in a sealed fit to your shoe, ensuring a super close fit where you never have to worry about them slipping off regardless of pace in extremely snowy, slippery conditions.
Last but not least is durability, which is not an issue! The spikes are more than ready for high mileage and can really stand up to long distance running on hard icy surfaces.
Even if you get long stretches of dry or wet pavement, running on such hard surfaces doesn’t wear down the spikes in the least!
Final Thoughts…
Don’t let winter stop you from running, rather the DueNorth spikes can help you safely conquer the ice and snow and do so with enjoyment along with confident steps! They also give the added benefit of supplying an effective layer of protection, providing a smoothing of hard icy surfaces while adding a soft, springy-feel to your ride! All the while, the spikes minimalistic profile allows you to feel the road, but is protective enough to make chunks of rock-hard ice feel good!
As you can tell, the positive qualities of the DueNorth spikes don’t stop when it comes to how handy, helpful and reliable they are in helping you run with safer footfalls in the winter, enabling you to run as fast as you can on slippery level surfaces and offers as much traction as you need to tackle longer distances in poor conditions.
If you’re interested in the DueNorth winter traction aids you can get a pair here!
For a more clear-eyed, in-depth view of the DueNorth spikes, I did a YouTube video review on them here!
If you’d like, you can also support Run Forefoot and help keep it going in full force by making a donation in any amount of your choosing: https://www.paypal.me/RunForefoot
Bretta Riches
BSc Neurobiology; MSc Biomechanics candidate, ultra minimalist runner & founder of RunForefoot. I was a heel striker, always injured. I was inspired by the great Tirunesh Dibaba to try forefoot running. Now, I'm injury free. This is why I launched Run Forefoot, to advocate the health & performance benefits of forefoot running and to raise awareness on the dangers of heel striking, because the world needs to know.
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