Been using siped tires exclusively for 45 years---nothing better, including studs, for anything approaching normal miles and speeds---my chains have been on the ground only 3 times in all those years and in many vehicles including many commercial combinations. 

Studs should be banned and recycled forthwith---don't even keep them to wear them out---if you observe closely the wear on your tires then you will see that the new stud protrudes significantly but after only a couple hundred miles on dry pavement the stud length is much closer to the tread and of much less use even on ice. 

Siped tires handle water so much better and run cooler which means there is less micro-melting at the tread anyway. And with thousands of "edges" for contact to the surface instead of the hundred or so of studs, they are superior in all ways anyway. It is true that a studded tire will perform the same with any ham handed driving they encounter but for those who are smooth and thoughtful, siped tires shine.