Avoiding Fall Injuries In The Snow With Proper Shoes And The "urban Crampon"

Ice, snow, sleet and rain are common winter challenges that are made more challenging when your shoes or boots are made for fashion and not traction

. The lack of traction of many casual shoes and boots increases one's fall risk in inclement weather and can result in injury. This can be even more treacherous if you are someone with a pre-existing condition or injury that makes you generally unstable on your feet.

Tips for reducing your risk of fall injury in snow and ice conditions include wearing a shoe with a wide heavy lug sole with deep treads. Boots with a high heel should be avoided because they place your ankle in a generally more unstable position that is at risk for twisting injuries. High heel shoes also tend to have a narrow heel that is less stable on slick surfaces than wide or flared heel shoes.

Mountaineers and ice climbers use crampons to gain footing on ice surfaces but what do you do if you are an urban mountaineer type and your ice climbing consists of scaling the front steps of your house or a store parking lot? Yak Trax, by Implus Footwear (http://www.yaktrax.com/products.aspxis) help improve traction in winter weather. Yak Trax are a metal coil system that slips over conventional shoes to improve traction on slick surfaces. Yak Trax consist of metal coils that are wrapped around a stretchable rubber slipper that fits over the bottom of a shoe. They are about as easy to apply to your shoes as galoshes, are light weight and compact. They can easily fit in a small bag, oversized pocket or the glove compartment of a car. They are sized according to shoe size and price is approximately $30. Although they are no crampons, they might just give you the additional traction youre looking for during inclement weather.

by: Robert Joseph Phd, DPM

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