Plastic Tire Chain

Can hook-and-loop fastener really hold these to my tires?

Yes! The hook-and-loop fastener has enough strength to hold the Snobootz to your tires at speeds of at least 40 mph. Of course, in snow and ice conditions, it’s prudent to keep your speeds below 30 mph, and that’s what we recommend. However, we have tested the product up to 45 mph, so you should have the confidence that the hook-and-loop will stand up to the job. You’ll find the biggest challenge will be peeling the fastener back apart when you remove the Snobootz!

Dyno Test Video

Is the cloth is durable enough to drive on dry pavement?

Absolutely! For the most part, contact is made with the pavement by the rubber traction pads which are bonded to the cloth. The rubber pads are molded of the same type of rubber that’s used for tire treads, so you know that’s tough. If the boot shifts on the tire, the cloth may come in contact with the pavement. However, the cloth is a heavy duty, PVC-coated polyester, so it can stand up to a significant amount of rubbing before it’s damaged. Even if the cloth rubs all the way through in spots, the overall structure of the cloth boot is retained and usable. We have tested Snobootz for over 180 miles (290 km) on dry pavement in an independently-observed test. The boots were worn, but far from worn-out. Of course, if Snobootz are used only on snow- and ice-covered surfaces and removed when the pavement gets dry, they should provide many years of use.

Dry Pavement Test Results

Why are Snobootz so much more expensive than chains?

Snobootz are an engineered product, using a combination of materials, each developed and selected for its specific application. Hardened steel claws provide grip on ice, but don’t contact or damage your tire’s sidewalls. Rubber pads provide dry road durability. The cloth boot provides great strength with light weight. The hook-and-loop fastener allows for easy and quick installation. All of these elements work together to create a system that provides the best snow and ice traction solution available on the market today. This is necessarily going to be more expensive than some generic link chain, but it provides many benefits that make it worth the extra cost. Furthermore, a significant amount of hand labor goes into producing Snobootz. The seams are all welded by hand, and the quality and fit of each boot is checked before it leaves the factory. Finally, Snobootz are proudly designed and manufactured in the USA. We pay our employees competitive wages, provide health care benefits, and conform to local environment regulations. Sure, these costs must be passed forward to our customers, but in exchange you get the good feeling that your money is going to support American manufacturing jobs.

Why are my sidewalls black but the pictures on the site are blue?

While preparing the product for production, we found that a stronger bond was obtained by using the same 35oz material for both the tread cloth and skirts. So, using black side skirts enables us to make a higher quality product. We also received feedback from some beta testers who said they prefer a black sidewall so their car doesn't look "geeky". We're glad we can respond to our customers' desires with a higher-quality product by changing to black side skirts.

How do you install Snobootz?

It’s easy. Just drape the boot over the tire with the logo on top and arrow pointed in the direction of rotation. Drive the car forward so the tire rotates half a turn. Then cinch the hook-and-loop fastener at the top.

Drape Snoboot over tire
Roll forward just a little bit
Fasten hook and loop fastener

For more complete information, please click here to see our full installation instructions and video.

Will Snobootz fit front wheel drive vehicles?

One of the biggest advantages of Snobootz is their tight fit to the sidewall of your tire. Many front-wheel drive cars on the road today have very tight clearances between the tire and the strut. Many manufacturers don’t recommend the use of snow chains on such vehicles. The stress-bearing structure of Snobootz is heavy-duty industrial fabric; it’s very thin yet it provides great strength and light weight. Due to their low profile, Snobootz can be installed on vehicles that can’t use snow chains.

Will Snobootz stay on my tires when turning?

We tested Snobootz on a 300 ft circle track of packed snow and went all out. Because of the tight fit of the boot over the tire and the chevron-shaped rubber treads, Snobootz remain well centered on the tire during aggressive lateral loads. As long as Snobootz are properly installed and you drive with care below 30 mph (50 km/h), you won’t have any problems with them falling off the tire when turning.

Do Snobootz work on bare ice?

Yes! Snobootz have aggressive steel “claws” embedded into the rubber traction pads. The steel claws grip into ice and provide traction comparable to snow chains. Each traction pad has two steel claws, each 40 mm wide. These are much more aggressive than even the ice studs that are in studded snow tires. The steel claws are in constant contact with the ground, so you’ll never lose traction. Click here to see a video of a car climbing a 10% grade of bare ice! The graphic below shows a car climbing a 10% grade on bare ice!