Customer Reviews Kahtoola MICROspikes

Kahtoola MICROspikes - MICROspikes are perfect for the trail runner who reaches for the icy summits of the Cascades. The stretchy rubber allows them to be slipped on and off super fast and easy and they stay on! The price is money well spent, especially after you add up the cost of all those YakTrax that broke or fell off and became lost in the snow. The MICROspikes even work well on the steep muddy terrain below the snow line. I'm breaking my own records running up Mt Tenerife.

The BEST for ice! I love these spikes! I can walk on ice and not fall. They are comfortable as the red rubber hugs the foot evenly and without pressure on any point. Don't try to walk in snow with these, though, as the snow adheres to the spikes. I have a "wardrobe" of goodies that help with winter walking and these are the most aggressive and useful for the slipperiest ice and the steepest hills. You will not fall!

Safe and easy - I have had the coil type cleats and the type that have replaceable screws as cleats and these are by far the best. The coil type slip on the same as the MICROspikes but aren't as good on ice. The ones with screw cleats are much more difficult to put on and off as well as heavier. I can take these off when I go in a store, restaurant etc very easily and put them in a plastic bag. The traction is wonderful! I took a chance and got the smaller size indicated for a size 61/2 shoe. I have boots in a size 61/2 and ones in a 7. The MICROspikes fit both pair well. I highly recommend this product.

Kahtoola MICROspikes - We have a 200' driveway in the snow-covered mountains of Northern California. My wife hikes every morning and afternoon. With the snow dumps we've been having, it's been difficult getting out of the house, let alone, up the driveway. But she does and she can't get over how well the MICROspikes grip the snow and ice to assist her ascent up the driveway and into the wild. Don't tell her, but I bought her the large size knowing they would fit both of us!

Microspikes inspired instant confidence on glare ice - One word for my first hike wearing Microspikes: Wow! I went on a group hike on part of the Appalachian Trail in southeast Pennsylvania, the day after an ice storm coated the trail and surrounding ridge top with a thick and slick surface. I admit to being a real chicken on slippery surfaces; I'm not fond of turned ankles and smashed knee caps. But, even on angled rocks covered with glare ice, the Microspikes dug right in, and I experienced total confidence and pure joy at being able to enjoy the gorgeous surroundings at a steady gait, and without the customary knot in my gut. Most of my hiking companions wore some sort of traction devices, but none had Microspikes, and I fielded lots of questions about them, and demonstrated to some folks how I could stride securely onto tilted, ice-covered rocks and feel rock-solid. Some of my companions seemed a bit jealous of both the performance and looks of the Microspikes, and seemed interested in acquiring their own. They go on and off my boots easily, hold securely during hiking, even on rough surfaces (A couple of my companions had to stop at intervals when their YakTrax webbing popped off the front of their boots). While the Microspikes are not super light, I really didn't notice the weight as I hiked. One suggestion to buyers. I wear a borderline boot size for this product, a 10 1/2 men's. I initially purchased the size medium, which is made for up through size 10 1/2 men's. I had to stretch it a good bit to get it on the boot, and exchanged that pair for a size large, which was as simple to use as slipping on a sock, and quite secure. Thanks for a super product!

Kahtoola's Microspikes - I call these "ice-grippers" and they really helped me to enjoy my trip to the snow where there were icy ground areas. They made such a difference in my confidence and ease of walking. I highly recommend these if you live in or are visiting icy areas.

Snow spikes - I live in Vermont and these are the best I have found for walking my dog in the snow, short of wearing snow shoes. And they fit my size 14 muck boots.

Goodbye Stabilicers, Hello Micro-Spikes - Just wore my new Kahtoola micro-spikes on a weekend trip on, or near, the AT around the AMC Mohican Center. The trails were sheets of ice after freezing rain. I didn't have a problem. They are very easy to put on & take off, you can wear them in any conditions -- bare rock as well as snow & ice -- and they couldn't work better. The title of this review, spoken by a guy with Stabilicers, sums it up. Get them. You won't be sorry. And Zappos 24-hour service is for real.

Spikes do the job - Here in Kodiak, Alaska, we often get snow followed by rain, and then freezing temperatures which creates incredibly icy trails. The MICROspikes are the best gear we've found for hiking on icy surfaces. They fit well, stay on the boots, and grip the ice like magnets. Well worth the price!!

Gotta share the news about these Kahtoolas! These things are wonderful. Not only do they beat my parents Yaktraks, they bite thru slush, ice and snow. You can run without fear of slipping or sliding. They actually make a biting sound...and they are durable enough to go on to dry pavement. I didn't like the feel and was worried I'd tear them up, but over gravel, pavement, ice, slush, asphalt...these things were not marred in the least. Affordable and lightweight. Slips on easily to running shoes or boots. Great for running, shoveling snow, or running across the street while everyone else is treading cautiously. Love them!

They work great. Perfect for maintained - yet icy - trails - We hiked the Grand Canyon (in December) in these and felt that they were leagues above the strap-on instep crampons that the people we passed on the side of the trail were struggling with. Never once did they come loose - and we never slipped. They worked equally well on mud as they did on the ice. As soon as we started to slosh through the mud on the way up - we popped these things on and started moving again. Couldn't be more pleased with the purchase...

Good for winter running, too - These do the trick when it comes to ice. They are lightweight enough to do long trail runs but seem very durable. The rubber does not need to stretch to fit over the shoes (as with the much less durable Yactracs) but holds the chains on well. The sharp spikes grip ice and hard snow very well. They are not my favorite when I suddenly have to run a stretch on pavement but, heck, they're for winter, after all.

Mini crampons offer great traction. At first I thought I would just get me a pair of Yak Trax, but seen these in Outside's 2008 Gear Guide and thought that's what I really want. One of my favorite mountain hikes has access by a fairly steep gravel road and ices over big time; I've wiped out a few times. I got to try them out last weekend and love them, solid, secure and no slip even on glare ice. They also won't load up with snow under the chains like some other brands. The mini crampon idea is winner!

Four years later: I wrote a review on these awesome spikes on as Anonymous on 1/7/2008 -- it's toward the end of reviews. These have held up beautifully over IN ice and winters. No breaks. I wear them on our tile and hardwood floors, on our cement porch and steps on the way to walk. Dry pavement, rocks, frozen mud, snow, etc...nothing mars these spikes! I was really worried when I first got them but am here to report that 4 years later, they still look brand-new. I store them hanging out of season, and they're hanging by the fireplace to dry after each walk. Great product. Buy two pair and keep one in your car; it's the best money you'll ever spend. Pay attention to sizing and they'll fit great. Fit over my size 11 W snowboots tonight. Still makes a satisfying "crunch" sound when walking. I tell everyone about my Kahtoola microspikes. I posted this Zappos page on the Kahtoola Facebook page. Yours seems to be best price around -- plus free shipping!

I'm not a big hiker, but we get a lot of ice and snow in the steep mountains where I live, and I wanted something to help me keep my footing when getting around. After losing both of my Yaktrax and finding out that everyone I knew was having the same problem (Yaktrak fall off easily and get lost in the snow), I bit the bullet and bought a pair of Microspikes even though they cost twice as much as Yaktrax. Boy, am I glad I did. I feel like a walking advertisement for these things! They are totally secure, both in terms of staying on my boots and shoes, and in terms of giving me fantastic footing on the ice and snow. They are also much easier to get on and off than Yaktrax, much to my surprise. You wouldn't think that to look at them but they are.I also love the red color because it makes them so much easier to find in the closet, and to pull onto my black boots on dark Winter mornings. One other surprising thing is that I can walk inside in these, which I couldn't do in Yaktrax. When I once walked very carefully on a hard (commercial) linoleum floor in Yaktrax, I wiped out, hard. It was like walking on ice. But with these, I can walk securely on tile, hard linoleum, and carpeted floors. Of course I walk short distance, say a few hundred feet from the parking lot to my office where I change into office shoes, but it does make life much more convenient. Certainly not meant to walk in all day or anything. And I wouldn't try it on wood or any floor that could get scratched or dented from the spikes.

Great product and excellent and fast shipping. Have used YakTraks in the past and am constantly checking to be sure they have not fallen off. These grip the ice and give me confidence on any surface. The design makes it impossible for them to fall off. Extremely pleased. Still use YakTraks for less severe conditions, but there is still slipping on ice. The Kahtoolas allow you to walk as if on bare ground.

I bought these to prevent slips and falls when walking my dog in icy conditions. So far we've only had one snowfall with resulting ice, but I was anxious to try them out. They worked perfectly, and I'm very pleased with them. I used the "other brand" for the past few years, but they kept slipping off my shoes/boots. I don't think it is possible for these to come off, and they seem to grab onto the ice really well. They are a little heavier than I thought they would be and are pretty ugly, but if they stop me from breaking my back or cracking my head open, I can deal with it.

I have had two sets and they are the best option for all around traction EXCEPT that the teeth are too soft and one of the teeth rounds off a little bit and they are like ball bearings on the ice. They should be ultra hardened or even carbide and the spikes would be perfect.

A remarkably superior product - Microspikes are great. I have been eying them for some time now, but have held off buying them because of their price. This fall, I said what the heck and bought a pair. I am sure glad I did. I have been a Yaktrax fan for many years, but I will say that the Microspikes are a profoundly superior product. Their grip on the ice is solid. I have never felt so safe. All aspects of the Microspikes are superior to the Yaktrax. The stainless steel chain and spikes will not wear out and hold the ice much better than the steel springs of the Yaks. The design of the upper rubber harness is superior as well. There is no need for the strap going over the top of the boot. Because of the strength of rubber it took a little time to figure out a “one hand, one move” movement to get the rubber over the boot. But once that was figured out – no problemo(a). There are two caveats: 1.) Because of the spikes, there is no way these can ever be worn indoors. With other products you can “sorta” skirt around this rule, but not with Microspikes. 2.) They are not a substitute for mountain climbing crampons. The makers say they can be used for running and jogging. I don’t know anything about that, but for everyday use out in the snow and ice or under extreme conditions they cannot be beat. Buy these; you will be very glad you did.

Excellent light traction - These are a big improvement over Stabilicers, which serve essentially the same purpose (traction on thin ice in shoulder seasons, when full crampons are overkill, but bare boots leave you vulnerable to slipping), but are more awkward to put on and take off and bulkier to carry. They snap onto boots quickly and easily and provide great grip. Easy to carry and light in weight. Highly recommended for late fall and early spring in the mountains.

Wore these recently on a winter hike in the Adirondacks. They work great! With only light snow cover over ice, Microspikes were much better than snowshoes.

As a recent transfer from California to Frosty Central NY, I tried numerous products to increase my traction on the snowy trails. My purpose was simply in training on the somewhat packed snow of the Erie Canal Tow path - a long and flat dirt/gravel pathway. I first tried the YakTrax Pro which markedly improved my traction over bare shoes. I then tried the Kahtoola Microspikes which I believe improved traction a deal more - which is logical given the much more prominent spikes - but it wasn't to the point that I ditched my YakTrax. I went back and forth between the two products for several weeks (largely because getting the YakTrax on an off of a pair of shoes was difficult enough that I just left them on) and came to the conclusion that the Microspikes did a slightly better job on flat terrain. They went on and off shoes easier and I could even do it with a pair of gloves on. On the downside, my left foot often scurbs my right ankle or the collar of my right shoe while running, and with the MICROspikes on, this allowed the links of the chain to scrub my ankle once in a while. The first few times are hardly noticeable but by the 25th time this happens, it HURT! This may be a non-factor for others with a better stride (the collar of my right shoe often gets worn away within 20 miles or so when I'm running in the summer so obviously I have a stride issue). Nevertheless, when it came time for my 24-hour race on the tow path, I ditched the MICROspikes in favor of the non-painful YakTrax Pro. The MICROspike appear to be significantly more durable than the YakTrax Pro but they are also more costly so you would need to balance this for yourself. Lastly, the MICROspikes would be very cumbersome to wear on asphalt for any length of time beyond simply crossing a road due to the prominent spikes. I was worried the spikes would bend under such force but that never happened. Other reviews I read indicated some people had problems with the products coming off - I had no such issue with either product and have put many hundred miles on both. I did find that I often looked down to make sure they were still on as you do tend to lose any feeling of them (probably a good thing).

These traction devices work very well. They are easy to put on and do not come off like some other products I have seen. They really grip on solid ice. The only issue I had was when walking on bare uneven rocks a chain link got bent and fell off. I had to swap them out for another pair.

Brought these on the John Muir Trail this past summer. The record breaking, and late, snowfall made July travel on the JMT extremely snowy, and I considered bringing full crampons. No need! These excelled in the early morning ice and soft afternoon. Several passes I wore them for 6-8 miles straight, and they showed no sign of wear. I think they'd last another trip or two on the JMT! Bought another pair for my wife and I to do some trail hiking in local mountains. Except for deep snow conditions (snowshoes/skis needed) these are now my go to equipment!