After slipping and sliding last winter I researched snow boots online and decided to get some for this new onslaught of snow. I settled on an Italian brand named Olang, which has a unique grip system which flips from spikes, back to a flat surface. They come in a choice of designs but I chose the Genny Tex OC in black which are smart enough for work.
When I tried them on for the first time I found them very snug, they do seem to come up narrow, but they are lined with sherpa fleece which makes them very warm and comfortable to wear. The retractable spike mechanism is called the OC system, I found them a bit stiff to start with and needed to use a key to get underneath and flip them. With my spikes on I took to the ice, now for the real test!
Walking on pavements which previously felt like ice rinks I felt very secure and stable, I could return to walking normally rather than the slow trepid steps I was taking before. On my walk to the station however, 50% of the pavements were ice, the other 50% had been cleared and so I was reduced to tottering on my spikes for this part of the trek. I’m not sure if this will damage the spikes in the long run, they still felt fine to walk on but the OC system is not as easy as I’d hoped to flip back and forth as required, and perhaps I’m also not agile enough to do this whilst wearing them!
For walking through the snow and ice however they are everything I hoped them to be, warm, waterproof and they keep me upright. I’ll be using them for the first days of snow until the pavements have been cleared.
I purchased mine from Trek King which has a store in Fulham or online at www.trek-king.co.uk
