Last week I was getting tires studded. Today I studded my boots. Or “hobnailed” ’em, as the case may be.
La Sportiva is selling a DIY shoe studding kit. This is a great thing that just might save our national health care system by preventing vast numbers of injuries sustained in falls on ice. In fact, the mayor of Chicago will be passing these out for free after the next ice storm — if you pay him first. Check it out:
I decided to try the hobnails in my 40-below rated pack boots, which have come in handy lately as global warming seems to have taken a vacation. On the ice, they're like weasel teeth. But they're that way on your hardwood floors as well, so shoe removal is mandatory if you don't have carpet.
The hobnails come with an installation/removal tool. They're reversible, and that one of the best things about them. You can install for ice season, and back them out when spring hits. Too bad you can't do that with tire studs.
La Sportiva Hobnails come in this nice kit with an installation tool. Perfect gift for any walker on your list.
You can also use sheet metal screws to “nail” your boots or shoes, but word is they pull out all to easily, resulting in trail litter that could cause flat tires for cyclists. Hobnails work better, as the threads are designed to really grab and hold in just about any sole rubber, and they’re tipped with tungsten alloy so they last a zillion times longer than soft steel sheet metal screws. Plus you can insert to optional depths, thus making the ‘nail more aggressive or more mellow in terms of how they feel and perform. Just don’t stick them in shoes with any sort of air pockets, or you could find yourself out an expensive pair of zapatos.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
