Does the walking on ice hack work?
A TikToker has shared their unique hack for walking on ice as temperatures continue to drop mid-winter.
On 17 January, lifestyle influencer Jojo took to her social media to share her friend’s tip for going outside in frigid weather. In her video, which has now accumulated over 2.8 million views, her friend is bundled up, ready to go outside.
“So apparently if you put socks on the outside of your shoes, you can walk on the ice better,” he started. To test the theory, Jojo’s companion walked out the door with just his sneakers on first. Immediately, he slipped and slid on the thick layer of ice, causing him to move down the front steps without picking his feet up once.
Obviously, the grip on the bottom of his sneakers wasn’t enough to stop him from going down. He then opted for a regular pair of socks pulled over the shoes to see how that would help next.
“Pretty attractive moment of truth,” Jojo declared as her friend stepped onto the ice again. This time, he was steady and in control.
He said: “Oh, no way” as not only was Jojo’s friend able to step down regularly, but he could climb back up the same too.
“Life hack,” Jojo wrote.
Shocked viewers couldn’t believe how supportive a normal pair of socks could be. One viewer said: “Brilliant! Update us after they get wet/also freeze.”
“I’ve learned more from TikTok than I did during my 20 years of schooling,” another TikTok user proclaimed.
Someone else added: “Yep socks work! If your car is spinning on ice and stuck, lie a pair of jeans under your tire and it’ll give traction.”
A few people were skeptical about how long the socks would last out on the cold surface, noting the likelhood of the material getting soaked.
“That’s only till they freeze up and you’re back to the beginning,” one critic said, while another wrote: “I imagine it not working for that long because the socks will freeze up.”
Others wished for a similar solution for their cars on icy roads. “Why have we not made tire socks?” a curious internet-goer asked.
The Independent has contacted Jojo for a comment.