 Hi, I have a number of walks near my home that are mostly footpaths across farmland and they all have one thing in common- they are all very slippery and muddy. I have tried army, hiking and welly boots all of which are very slippery and result in cartoon like slips! My question is this- is there a boot that is equiped with spikes available? I have come acress Yaktrax but I don't think these would work on mud. I am sure that I can't be the only person to have this problem! Cheers, Pete.
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 Peter, something like the Petzl Spiky may be the answer for a flexible option, though I hasten to add I've never tried them myself!
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Might be worth tracking down a pair of the Nokian Trimmi boots (also called Bog Trotters) which are a close fitting short welly with a studded anti-slip sole. They might be ideal for the conditions you describe.
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 A pair of golf shoes, remove that flappy outside tongue thing that you only ever see on gollf shoes, or you will look a complete dork
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 Fell running shoes are designed for traction in serious mud. Don't expect dry feet, but you're much less likely to fall over. Pete.
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 I believe Pete's idea to be for the best Inov8 mudlaw 330 is a shoe that I wear - fantastic traction.
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 Or, switch to a walking style using more a walking pole, or two even! As a tripod shape is far more stable over difficult terrain than a bipedal form like man.  Where there are well trodden paths in our area with this problem, got me thinking then laterally; that there must then be much less walked paths too in that case. Now I tend to use those, and leave all the worst of the boggy mud slipways style paths to the dog walkers, and the weekend only ramblers groups.
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OK. Lots of great ideas...I think the Grivel Spiders are edging it so far. I like the idea of the Nokian Trimmi boots but can't find a pair so far. Has anyone tried the Grivel Spiders? How are they for mud? It does seem a bit odd in the photos the spikes cover the under-arch area of the foot rather than the ball of foot area where slips occur most.
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 I worry that the spiters might collect mud and then become innefective.
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Spiders and spikes etc may well 'ball up' but they arent intended for that type of use. Fell shoes - (mud / grass specific ones) are.
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 Actually Grivel spiders are pretty good for low traction moss/grass/snow - mid-sole placement and easy to put on. They don't clag up (in my experience). The terrain needs a degree of solidity obviously - liquid mud won't do. Really like the look of the Kahtoola microspikes though - whole foot spikes rather than just mid-sole
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 I'd second Trev's idea about the walking poles. Ive founsd Im much faster especially over terrain as you describe because I now move freely and with much more confidence. In fact I think I've yet to fall over since I've started using poles.
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Or how about golf boots? http://www.county-golf.co.uk/cid/UUR6Z0APM75F9O7I12SDFP03TMYWB7O6/product-Stylo-Mucker-Boots-J600.htm http://www.118golf.co.uk/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=3928
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Something like Spiders will need a degree of silidity, but they really won't be good where you've got completely solid (rock, tarmac path, etc.). Gold shoes are designed to keep you steady for your swing on a well kept golf-course, fell shoes are designed to allow you to move over industrial quantities of mud at speed, I know which I'd trust most for this job (and it's not the golf shoes...) Pete.
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Gold shoes are designed to keep you steady for your swing on a well kept golf-course Pete.
No wonder I can't afford golf
EDIT: although I suppose gold shoes would plant your feet well for a swing - wait til PTC and the lightweight brigade get wind of this though
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| Edited: 05/05/08 22:04 |
 spikes are no good for walking on mud. there is a danger of seriously twisting a knee if they suddenly grip and you don't stop moving. golf shoes are designed to prevent your foot twisting when you hit the ball, not for walking grip. fell shoes are good but poles are even better as you can always have three points in contact with the ground on tricky bits. you can load the pole(s) with your weight rather than the ball of your foot on slippery surfaces so that if your sole does slip your weight is supported on the pole(s) instead of your face or bum when it hits the ground. the best poles for this would be pacer poles but they're expensive. in the first instance buy a pair of the cheapest poles you can find to try them out.
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 Good old Walshies.
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The traction on the Mudclaw sole is indeed exemplary, but as always it really helps if the shoe fits your foot. I ended up eBaying my Mudclaws as they kept on skinning my toes, and the New Balance RX Terrains I replaced them with still have almost as good a sole but on my particular feet they work better (at least in the 2E width fitting they do). So if Inov8 doesn't quite fit then there are alternatives, starting with (as Mike suggests) Walsh (not for me, pronated to hell and skinned my heels, but huge numbers of hapy users in evidence any time I go orienteering). Also Adidas Swoops are popular with fell runners, and various flavours of orienteering shoe which have similar studded soles for traction on mud. Compass Point have a good selection, including Trimmi studded wellies if you're still looking for those. Pete.
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