Everyday temperature falls under 0°C during the night, and everyday the temperature raises above 0°C during the day. Everyday we get a fresh coat of near invisible/unavoidable layer of ice on every pavement and parking lot.

Please wear shoe studs over your shoes. Everyday I see more and more Edmontonians in the street walking with crutches (underarm walking sticks), and I think to myself the accident that must have led to this.

Sure, the studs are uncomfortable to walk on on some surfaces, such as indoors, but they are probably more comfortable than needing a crutch to walk. Also, they are surprisingly easy to put on and remove. Carry them in a small garbage bag with you when indoors. Do not care about what people might think of you carrying muddy shoe studs in a garbage bag. I do that everyday, and only reaction I got so far was that "maybe I should get shoe studs too". People didn't judge me about carrying shoe studs in a garbage bag in a mall, because any reasonable person understands that shoe studs are tools to prevent unnecessary visit to hospital.

Studs are like phones that help you call the emergency services. Except, they help you prevent needing to make that call during winter.

I got a pair for 25 CAD 3 years ago. Almost half of the studs are broken and fallen off by now, but I can still feel the much better traction they offer compared to my boots. Yes, I wear them under my boots. They are that good.

If you are on the fence about buying new pair of boots, consider the boots with flippable studs. They are about 20-30 CAD more expensive than stud-less boots, the difference is roughly how much you would end up paying for studs alone. If you don't have budget for a new pair of boots, studs can be easily worn over most shoes, except high heels.

#slippery #icy #pavements #shoes #studs