Snowmobile tracks, like the snow machines they’re under, have changed a lot since the earliest snowmobiles. The final phase of evolution though, to paddle tracks, was paddle cleats.

What’s a paddle cleats for snowmobile tracks?

The term cleat typically means: Pieces of metal, rubber, or other material on the sole of a shoe (or in this case, snowmobile track), that protrude in order to prevent loss of traction on various types of terrain conditions.

In 1989, Holeshot Products, a Polaris dealership from Truckee, California, announced the release of their paddle cleats (patent pending). The cleats were made out of what they called a “space age thermoplastic,” and were designed to be bolted to the snowmobile track.

Promising improved performance on acceleration, braking, cornering, and sidehilling, the cleats sold for $99.95 for a set of 18. Dealership applications were welcomed.

What are paddle tracks?

Paddle cleats eventually led to paddle tracks, which are described here in this video from SnowTrax television: