 Sweat Magazine
The recently unveiled Flagstaff-made Kahtoolas stole the show in the snow, allowing our testers to maintain a regular stride and grip the oft-mixed terrain in Arizona’s northern winterlands.
 February 2002 - Claw Vs. Claw
SWEAT reporter Jill Florio put two of the latest, most high-tech winter running claws to the test last month, squaring off Atlas’s new lightweight, spring-loaded and tapered Dual Tracs with Kahtoola’s red-on-black LeafSpring® traction systems. The recently unveiled Flagstaff-made Kahtoolas stole the show in the snow, allowing our testers to maintain a regular stride and grip the oft-mixed terrain in Arizona’s northern winterlands.
While the Dual Tracs outperformed Kahtoolas in deep powdery conditions, both testers (who strapped the products directly over their running shoes) agreed Kahtoolas were more comfortable for running, especially over packed snow and icy or muddy trails. Both devices were easy to slip over shoes (even with chilly gloved fingers), but unfortunately had long webbing tails with no discernable tie-off points. The Dual Tracs were easier to adjust for varying shoe size, yet presented a painful “ankle-biter” strap over the Achilles tendon. A high-top sneaker would eliminate this problem, but precludes the option of wearing a basic low-top athletic shoe. Kahtoolas worked best in Arizona. SWEAT testers even forgot they had them on. The 1-pound-a-pair product can be easily slipped into a daypack for trails that only have snow at the trailhead (like at the Grand Canyon) or possibly ice at the summit (like on Mount Humphreys). For deep snow or off-trail conditions, Kahtoolas (or regular snowshoes, also tested for comparison) could not compete with the paired and tapered, 2.81-pound Dual Tracs for balance of flotation and easy movement. Snow conditions should decide which product you need most.
—Jill Florio
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