Introduction: Duct Tape Cleats for Ice, Snow or Play.
These field-tested SCOTCH TOUGH duct tape cleats performed better than I expected!
They were easy to assemble and it felt like I was wearing hiking boots instead of tennis shoes.
The last picture was taken of the soles after I walked a mile down a hard dirt road. Although some of the gravel cleats were exposed, no gravel was close to falling out. I have every confidence they'd hold up on ice, snow or on a playing field.
You'll need duct tape, gravel, cardboard, scissors, a pen or pencil and a pair of shoes.
Trace the outline of the shoes onto the cardboard.
Cut the cardboard about 1/2" inside the outline.
Wrap the duct tape (sticky side out) around the cardboard forms.
Put the duct tape forms on gravel. Step onto them and apply all of your weight.
Take the shoes off and pick off some of the gravel. (Remove the small and flat pieces) You need empty, no-gravel spaces for the duct tape to cover the gravel and still stick to itself. The height of the gravel should be fairly uniform. Work the tape loosely around the gravel, pushing the duct tape onto itself as you go.
Add another layer of duct tape, covering the cleated area.
Add more duct tape straps to the sole, attaching them strategically at the the arch, heel and toe.
Put your new cleated shoes on OUTSIDE. Whatever you do, DON'T wear them inside anybody's house.
Thanks for viewing my ible.
Participated in the
The Great Outdoors Duct Tape Contest
5 Comments
10 years ago on Introduction
should have hot glued the rocks or something. once the duct tape gets wet, it will be too slick and slippery. interesting idea, seems very impractical and silly to me. As a male, this is going to be hard to say. this might be one of the only things that duct tape does not fix.
11 years ago on Introduction
Very clever idea.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Thanks!
11 years ago on Introduction
This is very good, especially if you have a pair of shoes to devote to ice walking so that you don't have to take the cleats off-and-on whenever there is ice.
I've tried wrapping knotted clothesline around the shoe, which is hard to tie right. I've also tried "ranger bands" -- pieces of bicycle tire tube cut into strips and stretched over the shoe. Both of these can be easily removed and re-used but won't give you the same amount of grip that your idea would. I guess that's the trade off.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Hey, thanks! I've got other tennis shoes so I think I'll follow your advice and just leave them as-is. With the screwy weather we've been having, I might need them THIS year!