La Sportiva Blizzard GTX

I’ve never been one for treadmills; running has always been an outdoor practice. Road or trail; rain or shine. And, here in the Midwest—cold or colder. I’m particularly fond of winter running, especially when the city is blanketed in a fresh coat of snow. Even in the darkness of the early morning hours, the snow gives the city a soft glow. It also serves as a wonderful sound dampener, absorbing much of the environmental noise, leaving you alone with your crunchy footsteps and crisp breathing.
I got a crash-course in winter running living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where -40F/C (the one point where the scales meet) with windchill was on the menu. Running in these frigid conditions is a delicate balance of staying safe and warm, and avoiding sweat. It’s through trial and error—a lot of error—that I’ve found optimal gear, enabling runs across a range of winter temperatures and conditions. Hands and feet are particularly challenging. With respect to feet, I’ve had more slips and falls on ice than I can count, despite wearing aggressive footwear marketed for winter. I’ve also tried the Yaktrax model for running, which certainly help, but have a whole host of drawbacks: they’re heavy, they accumulate snow, and have terrible feel and performance on dry road, which, except on rare occasions, is bound to come up in the city.
Enter La Sportive Blizzard GTX. I picked these up two years ago on sale online. They’ve fundamentally changed my relation to winter running, taking it from constant vigilance about where my feet were going to land and anticipating the inevitable slip, to being out simply running with confidence and agility. The supreme traction is provided by a novel outsole compound with 7-mm lugs, along with nine tungsten alloy studs.
The upper is equally well-considered. Its seamless construction and Gore-Tex fabric keeps feet dry and surprisingly warm. I particularly like the mid-height fit and elastic collar, which keeps snow from accumulating (and melting) around the ankle.
To turn this into the ultimate winter runner, I’d add some width to the toe box. Coming from a more natural foot-shape (e.g., Altra), I definitely notice the narrow ‘traditional’ fit of the Blizzards. But, with all of the other unparalleled features built into this model, I’m happy to accept the trade-off. My next pair will be a half-size up to get a little more room up front (although these show virtually no signs of wear).
Winter running is a unique kind of challenge, and particularly satisfying with the traction ‘super power’ provided by the Blizzards.