Update - 21 December, 2009
Just a quick update on the
Icebug shoes we got
in to review last year. In a nutshell, in the current conditions, they
are absolutely brilliant. The array of tungsten carbide studs giving
confidence-inspiring grip on hardened, refrozen snow and ice making
walking and running in shoes quite feasible.
They're slightly noisy on pavements and other hard surfaces, but it's a
small price to pay for staying softside up. The MR Bugs we have on test
are relatively basic in shoe terms, but still quite adequate and the
water-resistant uppers have worked well so far.
So if you want to skip along on hard-frozen undulating terrain, these
are the babies for you. On proper steep mountain stuff however,
crampons are still a better option. See our
Crampon
Guide.
If you were wondering
how
to stay shiny side up during the recent cold snap then
Swedish footwear specialists
Icebug
could have the answer.
Just a normal trainer...
Icebug specialise in winter running and walking footwear with a
difference. Embedded in the rubber sole unit is a series of steel studs
reinforced with carbide steel tips and dubbed BUGrip. There are 15 or
16 studs on each BUGrip sole unit all of which work independently. The
clever bit is that not only do they dig tenaciously into ice and snow,
they also retract under pressure, so you can use the soles on normal
hard surfaces like, well, pavements, though you should avoid polished
parquet flooring...
... but with knobs on, carbide
steel ones
On soft surfaces, the studs remain protruding and increase the amount
of grip available - they're also one of the few things we've found that
grip on slippery roots.
Icebug sent over a pair of the
MR
BUGrip all-round training and winter running shoes.
Unfortunately they just missed the worst of the snow and ice in the
Peak and the arctic-style pavements were in full glacial recession so
we haven't had a chance to try them properly yet - pray for another
cold snap.
What we can tell you from some rapid experimentation on a few patches
of recalcitrant ice is that despite looking like a rather discrete,
black trainer, the BUGrip sole completely revolutionises grip on ice
and hard-packed snow. No slipping, just drama-free, confident grip.
Studs retract under pressure on
hard surfaces like, erm, parquet floors.
They also look to be a very decent and comfortable fit for the classic
wide-ish British foot and their water-resistant uppers should make them
ideal for British autumn, winter and spring running.
They could also be an ideal choice for lightweight footwear converts on
days when there's ice about in areas, like the Peak, where walkers
rarely wear crampons or carry axes. Bear in mind that although the MR
BUGrip is an all-rounder, Icebug also produces lightweight running
shoes using the same technology as well as boots and shoes for 'normal'
winter pottering around.
Additionally, some Icebug shoes use a detachable BUGweb sole attachment
which fits neatly between the tread lugs and means you can effectively
choose to have a studded or non-studded sole depending on conditions.
We'll put the MR BUGrip through its winter paces just as soon as
another cold snap materialises. In the mean time, if you're a a full-on
winter runner and don't like being confined to base by frozen pavements
and trails, take a look. We'll also let you know how they do when it's
less less wintry.
More information at
www.icebug.se
