Tim Mosbacher is a staple in the Missoula running community. He is currently trying to run a marathon in every state and has experience with a variety of running products. Tim does a majority of his running outside most of the year so we asked him how he stays on his feet. You can follow more of Tim’s adventures here.
Reviewing running accessories is always interesting because it is such a departure from my running background. When I was young and broke, I would simply run out the door wearing shorts, a cotton shirt, and whatever shoes I could rummage up. Many days I was miserable but I considered that part of the sport. I did not worry about headlamps, visibility, technical shirts, traction, etc. As I have gotten older, wiser, and have a little more money, I buy more accessories, which make running more enjoyable and definitely safer. A prime example of my newfound respect for accessories as a necessity would be on a dark and cold night last year. The workout for the night was a tempo run on the Riverfront Trail with a couple of people from Run Wild Missoula’s spring marathon training group. I showed up not wanting to run with spikes, just like the good old days. Everyone else had brought spikes, but seeing me without them, they hesitated and put them back in their cars. We made it one block from the Runner’s Edge before the first person fell. It got icier and icier as we made our way to the Riverfront Trail, and not one member of the group made it fifty yards on the trail before falling. We gingerly made our way back to the store. Everyone grabbed their spikes, and Meg Brooker outfitted me with a new pair of Due North’s Everyday Pro shoe traction aids. We again left the store, but this time, we had a great run, with zero slippage. That is how much of a difference using spikes can make.
A few years back I had purchased the Due North Everyday spike. They worked well when they stayed on, but they would slip off in deeper snow. I would also mistakenly (like an idiot) put them on upside down and have to reinstall. So, even though I appreciated them when they worked, they did not work as well as I would have liked.
The Everyday Pro version is similar to the simple Everday model, but it has more extensive webbing to fit over the front of the shoe. I have never had the Pro version come off. Because of this webbing there is no mistaking which way to put the spikes on. A majority of the time, I am unaware that I even have on a traction device. The exception to this is when I hit dry pavement and hear the clanking of the spikes. On dry surfaces, I may start to feel the spike under the ball of my foot if the device is not centered correctly.
The carbide spikes are replaceable but last for a good number of uses. I tend to not want to take the spikes off and on during a run, so I will sometimes wear them on areas of dry pavement. When I hear that clanking sound, I find myself looking for ice and snow!
The Due North Everyday Pro shoe traction aids are a must have for Missoula winter running. You know you cannot go wrong with a winter product whose headquarters are in North Dakota.
