don't want no broken back, svp.

February 13, 2010 1:52 PM

how can i give my boots better traction in snowy weather?

i just bought a pair of beautiful vintage nine west leather boots. they are perfect except for being dangerously slippery when walking on even the smallest amount of snow. i know that duct tape is recommended for better traction, but duct tape + snow = even more slippery. (duct tape has worked for slippy soles when walking on sidewalks, though).

is there anything i can do to not break my back this winter? i could buy yaktrax but would prefer something more DIY and less visible.

tanks ya!

posted by sucre to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

Best answer: You can take them to a shoe repair place and have them put a lug sole on the bottom. I did this with a pair of otherwise very girly boots that are very dear to me (I am so very hard to fit that when I found these boots I wanted them to last forever.) The shoe repair guy said that some women bring in *all* their shoes to get the lug sole, including pumps.

This is pretty cheap, btw, should be less than $30.
posted by Sublimity at 2:05 PM on February 13, 2010

Best answer: Believe it or not, I had the same problem last week-- which was instantly solved with a pair of DueNorth traction aids with carbide spikes. They're a little more low-profile than yaktrax, and work perfectly. Nothing else I've tried even comes close!
posted by aquafortis at 3:14 PM on February 13, 2010

Best answer: Yaktrax rule; don't be so fast to dismiss them. They come in clear, so you can get the stealthier version.
posted by procrastination at 5:29 PM on February 13, 2010

Seconding Yaktrax. Rubber bindings won't harm nice shoes and you can walk safely on ice.
posted by Hey, Zeus! at 5:42 PM on February 13, 2010

Can you wear Yaktrax on heels, though? I don't mean stilettos, but a lot of my boots have short square heels.
posted by Evangeline at 6:17 PM on February 13, 2010

Sublimity has it - a good shoe repair place can replace the sole with something with a better grip. Vibram is an excellent brand. There are lots of different soles from being a little bit nubbly to massive lugs.

If you go this route, see if you can find some place that does the work on-premise, instead of just sending it out somewhere else.
posted by porpoise at 7:01 PM on February 13, 2010