I used knobbies for about 5 years, and I think the new studded tires are a big improvement. On soft snow, I don't think studs make very difference. But, when things get slick or there's ice patches, I think they are great. There's just very little slipping and sliding. And, I am sometimes troubled, on a dished road, by a tendency to slide gradually toward the gutter - doesn't happen with studs. The downside is that they are HEAVY.