Icebug Spike Shoes Review

Recently I ordered a pair of Icebug Spirit4 spikes online (its always a risk when you order stuff online and can't try them on! I chose Icebug, mostly because they were on sale, but also because I heard great things and needed to invest in a pair of good winter running shoes.

Pros:

- my feet stayed super dry and warm. Normally running on snow/slush/ice in the winter, I'll end up with freezing and wet feet by the end of it. My socks were completely dry when I was done running.

- the fabric is very sturdy and thick, also helping to keep feet dry and warm.

-they're super lightweight. I loved how it didn't feel like I was lugging around bricks on my feet. They  feel light and I can move around well in them.

- their grip was AMAZING. I'm clumsy to begin with, so shoes with good tread, as well as solid spikes was a must for me. I didn't fall once and only slid around a couple times on the uphills when there was slush. I'm fairly impressed by how good the grip was on snow. So far, no black ice to test them out on, but I'm sure they will hold up.

- nice colours.. I didn't think I would from the look of the website, but I actually love the beautiful bright fuchsia colours within the shoe.

Cons:

- price. These Icebug shoes can run you up to $200+ dollars not including shipping or taxes. I got lucky and found them on sale on their website for $89, but if you're planning on buying the newer versions, expect to pay highly for them.
- they run very narrow. I ordered these in my normal shoe size, and they fit my feet, however if you're like me and have wide/flat feet you will probably have problems. I can feel pressure from the raised arch. After a few km my feet started to feel tired, best way I can describe it is as if my feet had a dull ache. Not good for someone with history of stress fracture on the outer aspect of my foot.
- chafing/blisters. They claim on the website that the heel cuff height has been lowered to prevent pressure on the achilles area of the foot.. but they can tell that to my bloody blisters. Note the photo below.. ouch. This happened even though I wore them around the house beforehand too. Hoping that I can work them in more and prevent this.

Overall the Icebugs are pretty good winter running shoes, if you have tiny narrow feet and can tolerate a few blisters. Most new running shoes need to be worked in regardless, so I'm hoping this is the case. I'll be wearing these a lot in the coming months as training for my next half amps up, and its nice feeling comfortable and safe running on snow/ice and knowing I'm not as likely to wipe out and break a leg.

Spikes make a world of difference and if these shoes can be worked in more they will pay off in the long run. Otherwise, if you have any different winter running shoe recommendations, I would love to hear them!

Happy Trails,
The Rural Runner