We got like 6″ – 8″ of snow where I live in the Northeast and it’s been hanging around. The first few days I did some snowshoeing, but over the next few days the snow melted just enough to get crusty and the trails got pretty tracked-out and I was relegated to hiking. Given my longstanding hatred of treadmills and the fact that the surf has been relatively flat, I needed a plan C to get back out and de-stress.

I run trails and from time-to-time with my friend and neighbor Dan and he asked if I had Yaxtrax and wanted to go on a run – I didn’t, but a run sounded great. So today with my new Yaktrax Pro’s I hit the frozen, muddy, snowy tracked-out trails not expecting much from these spikeless, rubber and coiled-metal contraptions that slid over my regular running shoes and fastened over the forefoot with a single velcro strap.

For the first mile or so I took it easy, gently testing lateral movement and I felt as locked in as though I were on dry ground. By miles 3 and 4 I was cutting confidently through treed trails like Barry Sanders cutting through the Bears defense. OK, maybe more like Colonel Sanders cutting through a boneless variety bucket, but I gotta say I was impressed with the way these things held ground.

Features of the Yaktrax include:

• SPIKELESS, ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN
• 360° OF TRACTION WITH PATENTED SKID LOCK COIL SYSTEM
• DURABLE NATURAL RUBBER BLEND FOR FLEXIBLE FIT
• ABRASION RESISTANT 1.4MM STEEL COILS
• REMOVABLE PERFORMANCE STRAP ENSURES FIT
• HEEL TAB ALLOWS FOR EASY INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL

For anyone looking to hit the trails in suspect conditions, trust the Yaktrax – they work. Price: $25-30.

Posted by: Lawrence