Last winter I thought about doing it, but never did. This year, though, I went for it: I took a pair of shoes getting a bit long in the tooth (or thin in the sole, as the case may be) and boosted the traction with the help of one of many sets of instructions on the internet.
They seem to work pretty well–no slipping and sliding so far. Only problem? They work fine on clear patches of pavement, but the screws take a beating. At this point only about 40-50% of my route is clear, but when the route is 20 miles that still comes out to 8-10 miles. So after one run I’ve had to replace some screws.
Of course, a commercial product would probably wear out just as quickly and cost a lot more to replace, so I’m not complaining! All in all, I recommend giving this trick a try, maybe on an old pair of shoes first if you’re wary of desecrating your favorites (as I was.) Thanks to all the dailymilers for the advice!
Glad it's working for you, Jason. You're right - they wear out pretty fast if you hit much pavement, but they are dead cheap vs. a comercial product. Best of luck with your recovery!