Kahtoola MICROspikes Footwear Traction for Winter Trail Hiking & Ice Mountaineering

Best spikes for the price. Wish I needed to use them more!!!

I am very happy with this purchase. I often go walking in the woods with my dog and had been having issues with ice. I slipped and fell a few times on ice patches that were hidden beneath a thin layer of snow. Worse than falling was when I almost fell but caught myself, wrenching my back or knee in the process. Ice is especially a problem on hills. Since I got these spikes, I can walk on any surface with complete confidence using my normal gait. I dont even bother walking around ice patches anymore. I normally wear these with my hiking boots, which look similar to the boots in the picture on Amazon. They slip on and off easily, about the effort required to put on a pair of socks. If I need to walk on pavement to cross a street, I usually take them off. They are very comfortable when walking on dirt, leaves, ice, and snow. I dont feel the spikes at all. Occasionally, when I walk on a hard surface for an extended period of time, such as crossing a frozen pond, I start to feel the spikes on my feet, so I would guess that these might become less comfortable to wear if you were to use them on solid ice for an extended period of time (like ice-fishing). I have had these for almost a year now. I have worn them about 25 times. So far, no signs of premature wear and tear. Update: I have had these for three years now, and used them through parts of four winters, probably about 100 walks in the woods (no hard-core hiking). The rubber harness on one of them recently broke. It did not break where the chain is attached to the harness, which seems to be pretty well reinforced, it is in the middle of the strap between two chains on the side of the shoe. I fixed it using a zip-tie attached to the two chains, so I am keeping them for now. The metal parts are still like new and there has been no rusting. Still happy with my purchase, but given that these are priced more than double the other similar looking brands, I cant help wondering if the cheaper brand might be a better value. I was partly sold by reviews from people who had them for 6 years, so I am disappointed that mine only lasted 3 years.

MY first pair lasted 10 years. A must for every winter hiker to carry in a pocket.

This is the only brand I will use/purchase for use in Alaska while hiking iced trails. I just hope they keep up with quality control and don’t allow new models to become less reliable and breakable on remote hikes.

These are some of the best working items I have purchased - period. Not just for traction on snow and ice, but best designed items I have purchased. I have given away the items rigth off my feet to friends and family. They work great.

I bought this for my husband for hiking and they work great! Its much easier now to go hiking on ice. They are so easy to put on and also easy to stuff back in the bag!

After trying another brand with plastic nubs twice because the fit wasnt right, I turned to this one. I hesitated because the price is $50 more than the other, but my safety on the ice is worth it. I tried them for the first time yesterday walking the dog, and theyre awesome! I immediately felt the difference, and I felt more confident walking. They stayed secured even after jogging a short distance, and I didnt slip or felt unsteady once. Worth every penny.

I moved to Colorado 14 months ago and would not let the fact that there was ice and snow in the mountains keep me from hiking. I bought Yak Trax last winter and they were ok, got me through the winter, but they didnt feel very stable. This winter, I bought Micro Spikes and they opened up a whole world of winter hiking for me! I have not used my Yak Trax since the day my Micro Spikes arrived. I dont even use my snowshoes that much anymore because the Micro Spikes work better on packed snow than my big, clumsy snowshoes. I liked them so much, I bought my boyfriend a pair for Christmas. Not only do they keep me upright on snow and ice, they keep me from slipping in the mud, and sliding downhill on gravely trails. I plan on bringing them with me this summer when I climb more 14ers. Whenever I see people struggling on snowy trails, I show them my Micro Spikes and tell them that they definitely need to get a pair.

These are excellent devices to provide you with secure walking in icy conditions but are a bit heavy-duty for sidewalks and roadways. They provide an extra measure of safety on hard pack ice but are a bit cumbersome to tote to work or carry on public transportation. They also fit very snuggly but take a bit more time than some other more commuter-friendly options (e.g., stabilicers lite)to apply. But theyre a much better option than yak trax -- they wont fall apart on you when you really need them. Theyre probably best used for serious winter hiking.

I bought these for my dad who is 72 years old and wanted to do some light mountain hiking. He was afraid of slipping and falling, so I bought him some of these. He spent a week hiking up in the Lincoln Nation Forest and never slipped once. He loves them and said he will never go hiking without them. I am going to order a pair for myself for my extreme high mountain backpacking trip later this month.