With the weather getting colder, we expect wet and slippery conditions, especially with ice formations that would make our walk treacherous that we start wearing boots designed for better grip on the ice. Even in airsoft, we worry if our tactical boots can provide enough grip during winter given that we will be running on different surfaces that would probably covered by ice, especially hard to see ice on the pavement.
I have experienced such that I try to be more cautious when playing airsoft in winter. After too many slips, and luckily no broken bones, I am always in search of footwear that can provide me such good grip that I will not worry about slipping when moving from position to another on ice.
Vibram has an answer to such problem and I hope this will finally answer an airsofter’s need to play on ice --- the Arctic Grip.
Introduced early this year, Vibram’s Arctic Grip is a new sole technology and weather gripping system specifically designed for slippery ice. The company says that it provides three times the grip than any other existing Vibram sole designed for wet ice surfaces.
Vibram has not revealed the exact technology behind Arctic Grip, but you will notice that soles are equipped with special lugs that provide unprecedented traction on ice, so that you will be walking or running like on normal surfaces rather than the usual wobbly and unstable cautious walking on ice.
If conditions go 32 ºF (0 ºC), the lugs change color to indicate the conditions maybe slippery. So how strong is the grip? Watch this video posted in January 2016 where people were asked to try to soles:
Convinced that the Vibram Arctic Grip is just what you need for your winter airsoft needs? Merrel has the Moab FST Ice + Thermo Boots that you can wear for airsoft games. It comes with the Arctic Grip and has M Select DRY that seals out water and lets moisture escape so your remains dry when you are on the move.
It is now available in the market as well as other footwear that use the same sole from CAT, Wolverine, Sperry, Saucony, and Hush Puppies to meet your lifestyle/fashion needs.
Be safe playing airsoft in the cold, and less worries slipping on ice with the Vibram’s Arctic Grip.