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After some snow here and there, it looks like winter has finally arrived in Syracuse. With snow and ice in future forecasts, your should consider winterizing your shoes for the best performance if you wish to be a winter warrior.

At Fleet Feet Sports, there are three major options to use in the winter: road shoes, trail shoes or an “over-the-shoe” product such as YakTrax or Stabilicers.

Road shoes may be fine in areas that get well plowed or on warmer days. But the biggest issues are the traction with the treads and people tend to get colder because of the open mesh. Grabbing a warmer pair of socks such as Smartwool can really help with the cold. There are also water resistant and waterproof shoes that will keep you warmer and drier. Nike comes out with both options each winter.

Trail shoes have always been a great option for running local gems like Green Lakes and Beaver Lake, but there is a big impact in having a trail shoe year round in Syracuse. With the snow and ice, trail shoes will add a more aggressive tread to the bottom of your feet and help with the slippery conditions. Picture this, each winter you put snow tires on your car because it has a more aggressive tread and will help you from sliding around the road. Same thing can happen with a trail shoe!

Another product that will help address the issue of traction and ice are some “over-the-shoe” products. YakTrax and Stabilicers are the two that we carry and are between $30 - $40.YakTrax provides traction to your feet through round metal coils compared to Stabilicers which adds it through metal cleats. The best part about going with one of these products is it easily allows you to transition to-and-from your road shoe at any time.

Looking to get off the road and be knee-deep is snow? Give snowshoeing a try. Our free snowshoe running program begins on Saturday, January 21st!

Check out the video below of Fleet Feet’s Fred Joslyn who demonstrates how to use YakTrax.