When to reach for Spiked Shoes

After a wet weekend and with a bit of hot and cold going on weatherwise, there is the return of the ice.

The thin layer is almost the most dangerous and ready to catch you off guard.

Yesterday afternoon whilst walking Minttu with my daughter Anna, I was mid sentence “Anna there is some ice there, you might want t…….”

Too late…. Slip, boom, roll, slide, look of confusion on her face.

Luckily being only 3, she didn’t have far to fall, and a quick cuddle later all was good and she was smiling and laughing again.

Today saw the return of my spiked shoes on both walks….. On first walk it was necessary and very much welcome as I skipped and gripped upwards over icy paths…..

Walk 2 it was completely unnecessary and the only ice I encountered the entire walk was in the car park (hence why I opted to put on the spiked shoes again).

Ironically spiked shoes give you less grip on stones and hard surfaces, as they really only perform well at what they were made to help with…… ICE!

If you are uncertain whether to use spiked shoes or not, you could also opt to take some crampons with you on your walk, so as to slip over your shoes if the conditions are suddenly more slippery than anticipated.

My crampons are unbelievably good and grippy…. So much so that it seems overkill to use them when not on sheet ice or a glacier.

And so instead, at the start of each Dog Adventure, I will analyze the surrounding area, the weather and try my best (purr guesswork) to choose the correct footwear!

Doggies: Hedda, Odin, My, Kuling and Lucy