Kahtoola MICROspikes Outdoor Sports Equipment

"I purchased these last winter after owning a pair of yaktraxs, in hopes of a higher level of durability and performance. In my first use of them (a six mile day hike through icy trails), they performed better than the afore mentioned rival product. My only initial gripe being that one would slip to the side of my boots, but no big worries, for they certainly bite into the ice with authority. However with more use the elastomer started to crack on one pair, right where the metal is connected to the harness in the toe section. I do not believe I had logged more than 20 miles at best with them at this point. Disheartening to say the least! Furthermore if the trail has any snow on it(on top of the ice layer) they tend to ball the white stuff rather badly. This is more than an inconvenience, but a true trail hazard. Needless to say, i returned my pair (thank you REI for the wonderful and understanding customer service as always)."

"I am thrilled to see that REI is carrying these, I consider these essential winter, spring and late fall gear. Everyone I hike with either has them or I recommend they get them. Everyone I know that has tried them went out and bought a pair. They go on quickly and stay on all day long. They provide excellent traction on ice and hard snow without all the fuss of crampons. If I am out in hiking in snow/ice I will either have these on or I will have on snowshoes. Most hikes in the White Mountains you can get away with these and not even need to carry crampons. I found these better than ANY other traction device on the market. You won't regret this purchase."

"I have used these several times since I purchased them from my local REI store. Until I used them the first time I didn't know what I was missing! I have used the Microspikes in anything from loose gravel to 8 inches of snow(deep enough for snowshoes but I wasn't expecting the depth) and they work great.



The speed of my hiking has increased greatly because I never have to worry about my foot placement. I also get to enjoy the scenery much more while I am not worrying about hitting a sheet of slick ice when I'm not looking down.



A breeze to take on and off, so lite you won't even notice they are on your feet, you won't ever have to stop and readjust on the trail.



All in all this is one of the best winter investments I have EVER made. A must have for winter hiking and camping. They can be used in the summer as well on loose gravel trails. An amazing difference in any trail condition."

"I was so impressed with my initial experience, I thought I would give you my impression. My initial impression is "wow what a product." I am very impressed! The Kahtoola MICROspikes work better than advertised.



My application: My primary application is for walking my dog 4 miles a day in Great Falls National Park. With all the recent snow, the trails have become slick and icy. SOLID ice.



Without a doubt these walking crampons / cleats truly prevent you from slipping on ice. I only weight 143 lbs. and had no issue with the "V" shaped spikes digging into the ice. Moreover, the Kahtoola cleats never slipped off my boot or felt loose. Once, I put them on, they never moved. I felt firmly secure on the trail as thought there was not any ice. I jogged a little, and the Kahtoola cleats felt secure.



I have no doubt the stainless steel chain link treads and spikes should last. I have not had enough mileage to see how the rubber upper part will do. We always have REI customer satisfaction guarantee. The only recommendation I have for Kahtoola is to mark the FRONT and back a bit clearer. Perhaps you can use a different color and large lettering for us 50+ something year old folks.



I posted some pictures of the Kahtoola MICROspikes on my Lowa hiking boots. I highly recommend this product to anyone looking to do some winter hiking and running on icy trails. Now my dog does not need to miss a day in the park just because the trails look like a hockey rink. THANKS Kahtoola!"

"I tried Yak Trax but they would never stay on and were harder to stretch to put on.



I heard about these and ordered them immediately last spring (REI didn't carry them). These will handle any icy trail conditions I have ever run across. They work flawlessly at least on hiking trail grades even if the ice is as slick as a hockey rink.



I always carry these if snow/ice is a possibility and if I'm walking on snow/ice it's either these if not snowshoes. With a pair of trekking poles especially there isn't a trail condition they won't handle.



Not a replacement for crampons if you are going up a very steep hard icy slope (usually off a trail anyway) but for all trails I have been on, they do the job great. If you are a trail hiker these are all you should ever need.



They can be put on/off in seconds and stay on. I have no problems with them slipping.



I am a size 11 shoe/boot. I will say the medium seems to be a better fit, especially on trail shoes. I first bought the large. There was a little extra chain hanging so I got the medium. For full out boots large would probably be right, and will work on the trail shoes but have some extra chain play below (doesn't affect them coming on/off).



Bottom line, get em you won't regret it. Throw the YakTrak in the waste basket or just use them around the house when icy.

Don't be like the many fools I see slipping and sliding in running shoes on icy trails. These will go over just about any shoe/boot.

With these you can basically run up and down such trails with ease.



I also sometimes leave these on if the trail is just slippery in general even after getting off the snow/ice (roots, mud etc)."

"I don't have much else to add to these reviews, everything about these spikes is incredible. You can wear them on ice, deep snow and/or rocky trails. I normally wear a women's size 9 shoe, but my hiking boots are a size 9.5 and they're just right. I think if you want to put these on running shoes and you're a size 9, you should get the smalls. I plan to keep my mediums because I can wear them with my insulated snow boots. These have made hiking up mountains possible when the spring ski conditions are dismal. What a great product! Thanks REI for carrying them! :)"

"My fiancee and I tackled the Willey range in NH over the weekend, and due to the proximity to Mt. Washington, winter conditions were present on the mountains. We decided to go with the Microspikes over the others; they were well constructed, lightweight, and fit on easily over our hiking boots, which made putting them on when needed, very easy. The trail was steep and icy on the descent and the Microspikes gave us the confidence in our footing that we needed in order to safely navigate the trail. A great investment in a great product!"

"I did a lot of research and asked to get these as a Christmas gift. They were everything I read about… Perfect for any icy snowy trail… The local ridge trails can get very icy where the sun hits the snow at the bottom, and can be frustrating even with the best alpine boots without traction devices. These make all the difference in the world. Hiking up bulletproof blue ice these stuck right in and every step was with confidence that the traction will be there! Any person that hikes in winter should really look at these."

"Only logged 3-4 miles with them so far, but they fit great and added a lot of traction. Doubled traction through the woods in light snow (less than 10 inches) and easily tripled traction on packed ice! Hope they hold up well, I plan on using them often. "Large" size fit well on mens 11.5 EE boots... Seemed a bit loose on my 12 EE running sneaks, but I didn't walk with them yet, only the boots."

"Bought these for winter hiking, and these things are awesome. I use these for winter hiking in the mountains, and climb like a moutain goat. The yaktraks don't hold up as well as these do, and usually end up snapping b/c the rubber gets damaged by sharp rocks/ice. The design of these don't put any rubber on the bottom, all metal, so the durabality is outstanding."