Raise your hand if you like to be cooped up… yeah, me neither. Since Denver has had more snow than usual in the past few weeks, and the city has failed to clear the sidewalks, one must either don heavy gear to exercise outside, or be cooped up inside a gym. Or, you could risk your safety by running on ice in regular running shoes. While some gyms certainly have a sense of camaraderie, I prefer to get my exercise in the fresh air. And I don’t always have time to drive miles and miles to get outside of the city.

Fortunately, I remembered that I had some Korkers Ice Runners stashed away in my closet. Since my ski plans didn’t work out for today, I decided to give running on ice a shot. I pulled the Ice Runners out of my closet and fitted them onto my Adidas Parley sneaks to try them out.

Description:

The Korkers Ice Runners are lightweight “performance ice cleats” that fit on top of your normal sneakers or running shoes. For traction, the bottoms are dotted with 22 ultra durable push-through replaceable carbide spikes.

The Ice Runners tout a BOA-FIT: Just like the closure on the heavier Polar Vortex and Snowmageddon boots, the BOA closure on these Ice Runners allows the wearer to dial in the perfect fit and adjust as needed. The BOA® L6 fit system wraps from all angles for a close fit and works best on low-to-mid volume running shoes. The BOA® components have a lifetime guarantee, and the cleat system is backed by Korkers Rock Solid Guarantee.

Initial Reaction:

The Ice Runners looked a lot easier to wear and use than my last experience with ice traction devices. A year or two ago, another company sent me some scary looking stainless steel ice cleats with sharp metal spikes. The chains got tangled up and one of the spikes pierced my finger, so I quickly gave up on those. The Korkers version, on the other hand, looked friendly and easy to put on. The main body is made of molded rubber materials, and tied together with strands of the BOA cables. The spikes appear only on the bottom of the product, and they’re not at all scary looking. I had no problem slipping these on top of my sneakers and tightening them up with the BOA cables.

Running on ice – Test Conditions:

I ran for about 2 miles on the icy streets of Cherry Creek North wearing my sneaks with the Ice Runners on top. I got some strange looks from drivers, whose cars were slipping and sliding on the un-cleared streets (get snow tires, people!). I took my first few hesitant steps, not sure if I would slip and fall on the ice. I felt the cleats on the bottom of my shoes, but I still wasn’t completely confident running with them. So, I ran slower than I normally would (not that I’m a super fast runner even in the best conditions). After a few minutes, I got more confident and upped my speed. Though cars slid on the road, I did not falter in my run.

Recommendation:

I loved getting some exercise out in the fresh cool air. After running on ice with these contraptions for about 25 minutes, I began to trust that I would not slip. It will take more getting used to for me to feel completely comfortable, but I definitely would recommend the Korkers Ice Runners to like-minded exercisers who are tired and bored on a treadmill and don’t feel like strapping on snowshoes, heavy boots, or escaping the city to do other winter sports.