Here's a tip before you slip

Wind River Rundle winter shoe

Six years ago I went out with the dog before going to bed one night. I literally was just going to walk around the house while the dog did his thing. When I came back inside 10 minutes later my life had been drastically changed and almost ended. I had slipped on an icy driveway and hit my head, breaking my skull and leaving me with a severe concussion.

I was lucky. Our friend, Bob, a Lutheran minister from Minneapolis, told us later that he had one of his parishioners do exactly the same thing -- walking the dog, slipping on ice, hitting his head. He came into church the next day with the concussion but then died shortly after.

My first concussion symptoms were a terrible headache that lasted for weeks and dizziness that could be brought on by things like walking down a long aisle at a store. Eventually I also realized I couldn't taste or smell anything. That turned out to be caused by brain damage from the blow.

Again, I was lucky. For one thing, I didn't have any brain bleeding, something that the doctors found remarkable considering the big crack in the back of my head. 

Today, I have what is called post-concussion syndrome. I get migraine headaches, brain fog and loss of balance from time to time. I am able to taste most things but am impaired in my ability to smell. I can't smell a skunk, for instance, or gasoline. Cucumbers, on the other hand, smell so powerfully that I can hardly be in the house when one is being cut up.

As you can imagine, I'm pretty motivated now about not slipping on ice again. For the first couple of years I wouldn't go outside around the house without Yaktrax or other over-the-boot ice-gripping aids. But these type of devices are cumbersome and cannot be worn while driving the car or when walking inside at the store. They would also damage the floor. 

Then I saw CBC's Marketplace program about this research institute in Ontario that tested all of the best brands of winter footwear for their ability to prevent slipping on ice. Only one company, Wind River, passed the test. They had a patented Ice FX sole with imbedded crystals that poke into the ice surface. 

I immediately found a pair of the boots at Marks Work Wearhouse and wore them for the next two winters. 

Ice FX crystals bite into slick icy surfaces

These were a hiking boot style, perfect for snowshoeing or other outdoor activities where you are  active. They would not be warm enough for sedentary things like ice fishing, however. 

Anyway, I found them to be just as advertised when it came to gripping ice, such as on the driveway, sidewalk, or parking lots. I never slipped, not even once.

However they were a bit too restrictive for driving the car. My feet would tend to go to sleep, for instance, on the hour-drive to Thunder Bay from our house. And if worn for extended periods inside stores or at other functions they were too warm. So I've had my eyes open for a winter shoe, rather than a boot, that has Ice FX soles, has some insulation for winter but is not too bulky.

I found it a week ago, again at Marks. It is the Wind River Rundle shoes with Ice FX soles. These fit like a glove, are warm but not overly so, and most importantly let you adhere to ice like a fly walking up a window. 

I see Ice FX soles are now offered on some other brands of boots too. It is a game-changer.

I think we should all be getting Ice FX boots and shoes each winter, just like we get snow tires.

My old Wind River winter hiking boots