Kahtoola MICROspikes Footwear Traction for Winter Trail Hiking & Ice

11 reviews for Kahtoola MICROspikes Footwear Traction for Winter Trail Hiking & Ice

1. 

   SI – 7 January 2025

   6/5 stars incredible, regret not buying sooner
   I cannot for the life of me write a glowing enough review for these microspikes/crampons. I was skeptical, but read on for a 100% true story.Last year, 14 October, 2022, my fiancé and I hiked a mountain in Alaska named Donnelly Dome. It is 3,832 feet to summit. It defeated us at elevation 3,064. We were fully kitted out for the snow and cold with food and water. We thought we were prepared, but above that elevation everything turned to ice and rock. We didn’t know that at the time. Our footwear was evidently lacking because we just couldn’t safely make it up the rock face, and I assure you, we did try. Frustrated and defeated, we went home to Pennsylvania. 24 September, 2023 we returned with the identical kits and gear. The one and only difference is we both had on a pair of these microspikes/crampons. This year not only did we summit without a single issue, we did it in record time, with snow and ice above that very same elevation. 6/5 stars would recommend. I’ve since used these on five other hikes, two in alaska summiting another 4,100 feet, and 2,800 feet on the other. The ones here in Pa were only 1,590 and 1,450 feet, but these spikes made the hike easy. And I’m not joking. Downhill is my weakness, and these make it simple and save my legs. I will never hike without them again. Not to mention putting them on when needed and removing when not was ludicrously easy. I regret not buying them sooner. They are terrific in light snow/ice, gravel, hard/medium pack dirt, and light rocks. Not so great in snow deeper than 6 inches, and a bit slippy on actual rocks when your entire foot is contacting ONLY rock.Sizing, the large was a teensy bit too small for my size 13 hiking boot and was making it curl up the the toe box, so had to upgrade to XL.The only real downside that I now have is that I notice myself getting a wee bit over-confident with these fitted. So wearer, be wary of that.

2. 

   Leafy Tree – 7 January 2025

   Excellent Traction
   I purchased the Kahtoola MICROspikes for travel where I would be walking on icy surfaces. These spikes were fantastic. They provided superb grip to keep my feet from slipping on ice or ice covered in water. No problem with stability at all.The way that the spikes fit over boots or shoes is snug and holds very well. These are made incredibly well and should stand up to years of normal use.When deciding on size, my size was right at the cusp of a small or medium. I decided to go with the small to insure a snug fit to my insulated boots. While they can be fitted to those boots with significant effort, the medium size would have been a better choice. So, for anyone who plans to use them on insulated hiking boots and whose size is smack in the middle, go for the larger size.They come with a nice pouch too.These were purchased at full cost and were not provided to me for the sake of a review.

3. 

   Richard M. Vigness – 7 January 2025

   Outstanding device!
   This is one of the smartest devices I have seen in years. As I collect birthdays, I have come to fear the ground level fall more. These are easy to use and make ice days safe for simple outdoor tasks like taking out the trash and walking around the block. Simple, easy to use, and extremely high quantity.

4. 

   Ola – 7 January 2025

   Good
   I like them but they get little bit lose once a while, so i need to pull them up on my shoes. It is okay though. I would get 70$ onesz but this is cheaper and good. But i must say, you cant nicely bend it to put in a bag so i cant close the bag. The bag itself is also too small.

5. 

   msthamara – 7 January 2025

   Worked great on frozen high tide blocks of ice.
   I did a short hike on the side of the ocean where high tide frozen into huge chunks…I didn’t slip at all while climbing over these blocks of ice. Nor slip hiking up a step hill. I did noticed, that I will need to have these more secured on my boots so the chain doesn’t hang too loose. Other than that, I’m glad I bought these brand. A fellow hiker suggested I get a pair. I wear size 9 women boots and ordered a size medium Kahtoola.

6. 

   Maria Noel Groves Wintergreen Botanicals LLC – 7 January 2025

   Still my favorite, plus they have a 2-year warrantee
   I’ve owned a few pairs of microspikes over the years, and the “name brand” remains my favorite even though cheaper alternatives are now available. I prefer Katoula for a few reasons: 1. they work better (just enough grip to stay on ice and snow, not so much that you clump up a bunch of snow or pick up lots of leaves and pinecones along the way), 2. they have a small size (important for my size 4 foot! I now own two pairs, one that’s stretched out for my bigger boots and another pair I keep for smaller boots so they fit well), and 3. they back their product with a 2-year warrantee. I HAVE been disappointed to see the quality go down since I bought my first pair several years ago, and they do sometimes break. But, they still tend to work better and be better-made than most other places. I was pleased recently when a new-ish pair broke just before the 2-year warrantee expired, and they replaced them with a new pair promptly without issue.All in all, I LOVE my microspikes. These are SUCH a useful thing to have here in NH where we have plenty of wintery weather with packed snow and icy trails. I use them for hiking, walking, and simply doing chores around the yard all winter long. I’m surprised more people don’t own them. I think more people would enjoy the outdoors in winter if they made use of microspikes, and they’re way more practical, enjoyable, and affordable than snowshoes for most conditions.

7. 

   Marie R – 7 January 2025

   Had previously bought a cheap pair of crampons that were clunky and the chair tore through the rubber so they went in the garbage. This pair are sleek, easy to walk on and have reinforced eyelets to prevent chains from tearing out of the rubber. I’ve been on a couple 5 k winter hikes and they were excellent at biting into the ice without being bulky. Super easy to walk in. Highly recommend.

8. 

   Client d’Amazon – 7 January 2025

   Conseiller par un spécialiste : peut vous sauver la vie en vacances dans les zones de grand froid (Islande en hivers )

9. 

   Gleneagles – 7 January 2025

   Top class item, have used the earlier version for several years which also rate 5 stars.Buying these from a company in America meant waiting 2 weeks for delivery which bore a German postmark but these were far cheaper than any other advertised site, came in the correct box with a Tote sack so well pleased with this purchase.Used for fell walking in the Lake District when snow and ice are on the fells, no other item can match these, highly recommended.

10. 

    Mountain 11 – 7 January 2025

    I am a member of a hiking group that year round goes on 10 plus kilometre hicks through the woods and I was experiencing problems with my hiking boots slipping on ice /snow & slippery conditions. Numerous members of the group recommended purchasing this brand of traction crampons and boy am I glade I did.I have used them on numerous hikes in the woods and I feel more confident and comfortable waling on ice & snow covered ground. Compared to when I used cheaper traction crampons that did not provide as good a grip and kept falling off my boots.I am very pleased with my purchase and would highly recommend them for people that enjoy hiking in the woods when the ground is frozen and/or slippery. Please note since I have purchased these crampons, I have not lost my footing during slippy conditions however, there is always a chance that you could loss your footing and injure yourself. Please be careful when hiking on slippery/ice covered ground.In my opinion, they are a little expensive but worth the extra cost!

11. 

    Malone – 7 January 2025

    I use them when using the snowblower or shovelling, plus we live on a hill and these spikes work perfect, no slipping trying to walk in the snow on a slope anymore. I’ve used them 4 times and they did pop off once each time after wearing them for an hour or so but I was able to pop them back on fairly easy. They do stay on better than most others. An extra velcro strap going over the top from the sides might help avoid this and prevent any risk of losing one. Highly recommended!Update: They finally wore down to flat nubs and I have to order another pair but am opting for a much less expensive pair which seem to be of the same quality. I did have to repair these 3 times (broken links) but they did work well again after repair. Good product but I won’t pay $90 for new ones.