Running shoes might not be the best choice of footwear for hiking to the top of a Colorado ski resort, but when a shoe company claims good traction on slick surfaces, I couldn’t think of a better test venue.
Before dawn last week I put on a heavy pack carrying alpine skis, boots and a little water then started up from the parking lot of Arapaho Basin Ski Area. On my feet were a pair of to-be-released 2015 running shoes intended for use on the muddy trails of obstacle courses and other sketchy surfaces made by the Swedish company Icebug.
Some of the Icebug shoes have metal studs to grip ice. But the Zeal model I wore on the uphill slog have deep, hard rubber lugs to grip into the snow-pack or other dicy terrain.
Long story short? They worked great. Hiking the steep groomed face was no problem and the shoes clawed into the slippery surface with little trouble. As running shoes, they’re clearly not intended for this activity, but they still did the job just fine. They should crush on your slippery city jog or muddy race.
