The recent snow and ice presented the perfect opportunity to try out the Pogu ice spikes I’ve had languishing in a cupboard for a couple of months. They fit over your shoes, with a flexible rubber harness over the top and mean-looking metal spikes under the forefoot and heel. A velcro strap fastens them into place.
My first observation on putting them on was that they felt pretty heavy and cumbersome. My digital scales clock them at 234g each, and the fairly deep snow I was running through initially didn’t really give much of a chance to put their grip to the test (when it’s that deep, your feet simply sink, not slide). I could really feel the weight of them when lifting my feet and I’d pretty much decided they weren’t all that good.
BUT! When I made it across the fields to the country lanes beyond, I found the tarmac was sheathed in ice. I stepped gingerly on to the glossy surface (I’d normally have turned back) and wiggled my shoe - it clung firmly to the ice. I took another step - same thing. Over a mile and a half of hard packed snow and ice, I didn’t lose my footing once. Impressive. Once I hit the snow and ice-free roads, I became aware once again of the weight of the ice spikes and of the metallic thud of each landing. They aren’t comfortable to wear on a clear surface - and of course, that isn’t what they are designed for - but that does make them somewhat inconvenient when the terrain is varied - some icy, some not, some grassy, some tarmac.
In summary, they do what they are meant to do - grip the ice - superbly. But the downside is their weight and limited comfort. £50 RRP. www.pogu.co.uk