Winter tires. How and why?

Can you imagine using such tires during the winter season? Most likely not. If it's not a montage, then how did it happen that slicks were used during the winter period? Who did it and why?

In 2011, the company Yokohama organized an interesting presentation of their tires.

Test participants were given the opportunity to drive on perfectly even ice on winter tires and on slicks without a tread pattern. The secret of these tires lay in the fact that they used a "winter" rubber compound. It's very interesting to look at the result, as many noted that the complete absence of not only studs but also a simple tread pattern did not make the tire completely helpless.

On pure ice, one of the main obstacles to traction is a thin water film. The tire cannot brake on water, even if it's a thin layer. Braking is only possible if the contact patch is dry. At Yokohama, it was vividly demonstrated that the winter rubber compound has not only flexibility and elasticity at low temperatures but also a unique composition that includes polymers and microparticles that can dry a part of the contact patch. The micro-level struggle in tires is enhanced by lamellas, tread patterns, and anti-skid studs.