Spikes at the flick of a switch
More than 70 years after its launch, Sievi of Finland remains devoted to helping workers stay safe in difficult conditions. One recent innovation is a patented system that lets wearers gain extra stability on ice just by turning a small lever at the heel of their boots.
Non-slip soling developments to help workers stay safe in snow and ice keep coming to light. Vibram describes Arctic Grip as the most advanced cold-weather gripping system it has ever created. The system is metal-free, relying entirely on rubber material to provide good grip on icy surfaces (especially, Vibram says, on wet ice). The design of Arctic Grip soles features wide contact areas between the ice-covered ground as the rubber lugs have a wider support area. Footwear brands that have already incorporated Arctic Grip include Tecnica, Lowa, Salewa, Asolo, Dachstein and Merrell.Other Vibram outsoles do use metal; Megagrip, for example, has 20 carbide-tipped steel spikes added into the soleplate. Similarly, Swedish brand Icebug integrates steel studs into the special rubber compound in its proprietary grip technology. It claims its knowledge of and commitment to innovation surrounding anti-slip soles is helping it grow quickly.
On-off spikes and chains
In difficult conditions, the older idea of attaching sets of spikes when required is still popular. Attachable traction devices fit over shoes of all shapes and sizes, including safety and work shoes, with stretch-enabled bands typically fitting onto the upper to hold in place a plate combining spikes and chains on the sole. Arizona-based Kahtoola developed its detachable spikes after owner and founder, Danny Giovale, slipped on a frozen surface while climbing in the Dolomites and fell 200 metres. He survived, but research he carried out immediately afterwards showed that slips on icy, snowy terrain were the leading cause of fatalities and injuries among climbers. This was his inspiration for developing packable crampons for use with any outdoor footwear.
Kahtoola’s design includes a raised heel-tab, which it says makes it easy to put the spikes on and take them off. Nevertheless, some in the world of trail-running have said they do not like interrupting a run or a race to avail themselves of a removable traction device when they hit ice or the snow line on a hillside. There are running shoes with spikes, of course, but there are likely to be parts of even a 10-kilometre course, where the extra traction is required and other parts where it is not. There are runners who have taken a do-it-yourself approach and have put into the sole of a pair of running shoes a set of metal screws, long enough to help in slippery conditions and short enough not to penetrate the footbed or to be uncomfortable on ice-free sections of the course. Their main motivation seems to be not to have to change shoes or take the time to put removable spikes on or take them off.
Variable terrain
This can be equally important for emergency responders and other professionals who have to be able to negotiate variable terrain, including stretches made particularly tricky by snow or ice. Finnish safety footwear brand Sievi feels it has found a solution, and one that does not require the wearer to have a screwdriver to hand. Instead, it has redesigned the soles of some of its work boots to allow wearers to make the footwear anti-slip at the turn of a small lever.
It has patented this mechanism, which it calls its Spike System. It is in products such as the Sievi Spike 3, an iteration of the Sievi Spike work boot that features a completely redesigned sole incorporating the patented system. When wearers come to a patch of terrain that is covered in ice or snow, they can reach down and turn the lever, even with gloved hands. At this, two metal studs protrude from the heel to give good grip. Other features include a steel toecap and a steel plate in the midsole to prevent sharp objects from reaching the foot. Sievi still describes this version as lighter, more flexible and easier to use than its predecessors, making it a suitable safety shoe for slippery conditions. Other models that incorporate the Spike System include the Spike GT Roller, which, in addition, offers a lining that combines fleece and a Gore-Tex Sportive membrane for comfort. This boot also uses the Boa lacing system for easy tightening.
Cold comfort
Throughout its 70-plus years of making footwear, Sievi’s focus has been on work and safety footwear, with a particular specialism in products for countries with cold winters. It started out in 1951 when founder, Lauri Jokinen, employed four shoemakers to produce boots with rubber soles and leather uppers. That first boot, known in Finland as the Everyman, continued in production until 2003. The company started life in a cottage in the village that gives it its name, which is 500 kilometres north of Helsinki, but now has up-to-date factories in Sievi and in Oulainen, a further 50 kilometres north.
Now Sievi lays claim to being the largest producer of safety footwear in northern Europe, employing 500 people. It makes 1.1 million pairs of shoes and boots per year, exporting many to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Canada, the UK and a number of central European countries. Now in its eighth decade, it remains committed to investing in innovations that it believes will maker workers’ lives healthier and safer. This includes reducing accidents, including from slips and falls in wintry conditions.
The Spike GT Roller offers a lining that combines fleece and a Gore-Tex Sportive membrane for comfort, the Boa lacing system for easy tightening and the patented Sievi Spike system for protection against slips and falls in difficult work conditions..
All Credits: Sievi
