New Vibram Shoe Soles Can Prevent Slips on Ice and Snow

From the folks who brought you the curious five-fingered sneaker comes a shoe that may save you from that embarrassing fall on wet ice. With winter approaching Vibram shoes is just in time, promising to deliver an excellent grip on wet ice and snow with Arctic Grip™.

Their new state-of-the-art sole technology was created by the scientific minds at Capra Glacial Ice who were hired by Vibram to specifically engineer and design the bottom of shoes to perform on wet ice.

Steve Ellis, the innovation director at Vibram USA explained their advanced cold weather gripping system in the company’s YouTube video saying, “One thing we were really missing was the ice category. We were always really, really good on dry ice but wet ice was sort of this illusive thing. It’s extremely dangerous to customers but there was really nothing out there on the market.”

The challenge was to bring a full rubber sole solution to wet and icy environments and have it grip tightly, but with a bit more style than clunky work boots. Have they succeeded? Here’s a look at some of the exclusive winter weather footwear creations they’ve launched for Fall 2016 from sporty sneakers and duck boots to casual wear.

They are also a smart shoe sensing when the weather drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Just in case you weren’t quite sure, a little white triangle also known as a Thermocratic Indicator turns blue to let you know of icy conditions ahead.

But does it really work? Vibram took Arctic Grip to the simulated icy streets of Boston to test out their product on humans as seen here on ThrillistTech’s Facebook page and the viral community weighed in. Users with impressed with the technology and several thought they would be a great addition to snow tires.

One user suggested, “Make these in tires so I don’t drive like the Beverly Hill Billies (sic) in the snow please!! Lol” And one mother warned,  “Don’t let your kids go down a slide in these. Lol. Mine broke his leg from doing so because the non slip created too much friction.”

For anybody dreading the potential slips and trips of impending inclement weather, it sure seems like the Arctic Grip is a lock for getting around this winter.