Yaktrax Pro Traction Cleats for Snow and Ice

I walk to work every day and I live in Minnesota, and there's always at least one ice storm each winter. My choices have always been to either shuffle the eight blocks to work like an arthritic granny or call a taxi, which always rankled since it's a relative lot of money for a three minute drive. I finally decided to try something like Yaktrax; having broken a bone a couple months ago (unrelated to ice), I was feeling even more timid than usual about having to skate to and from work.First, the good.Two days ago, we had sleet in the morning followed by an "icy mix" in the afternoon, and the result was about a half inch of this bizarre icy sleety coating on the ground. It was ice, but very granular. My Yaktrax Pros bit into them nicely and there wasn't even a little slippage. I was pretty cautious at first, but gained confidence quickly. (I walked outside at one point to get something and didn't bother putting them on, and while it wasn't super slippery, it was still icy enough that I noticed a huge difference without them.)Yesterday it rained. It melted most of the gritty ice on the ground and smoothed it out, making it far more slippery. But since the air temp was above freezing (35 or 36 degrees) the ice was thick but very melty and porous. Again, these bit right into the ice and I could walk at a normal clip - pretty fast considering I never allow enough time in the mornings - without slipping at all. Many people took advantage of the warmer air and melting ice and cleared their walks, but it was still really soggy with lots of puddles when the sun went down.Today it snowed right on top of the refrozen wet. My walk today was the first time I tried these on smooth ice that wasn't porous and slushy. I did slip around a bit, enough to make me much more cautious even with them on, but a lot of that was because the snow that was on top of the ice packed itself into the metal coils and prevented them from gaining much purchase. Again, they were definitely better than nothing but considering snow on top of ice is hardly uncommon, it's a limitation. Would another product have worked better? Dunno. It could be that this was the best I could have hoped for...but I didn't have the level of traction I had yesterday or the day before.And the bad:These are not easy to get on and off. In a way I'm kind of glad since it would truly suck to have them fall off during a walk, but the rubber or whatever is hard to stretch out enough to fit them over my boots. It isn't impossible, but it's not exactly a breeze either. My first thought was that I'd just leave them on, even though they say they're not for indoor use, but...Secondly, trying to walk across a hard floor in these is nearly as treacherous as walking on ice without them. They're smooth metal and on a floor, there's nothing for them to bite into. It's not a problem at home since I take my boots off right inside the door, and it's not that big a deal arriving at work since I can pop them off before walking inside, but going anywhere else is out. Even if there's someplace to sit to get them back on when you're ready to go again, you'd have to find someplace to stash them when they're filthy and dripping. If they were easier to get back on, I probably wouldn't complain too much...but they're not, so I can't walk to the store or the coffee shop or anywhere else that has bare floors unless I really want to mince around at a tenth my normal speed.But that said, they do help quite a bit. If you want something to help you walk to and from a place where you can conveniently take them off right inside the door, then go for it. But if you think you'll be able to run errands or whatever when it's icy out, you'll be disappointed.EDIT: OK, so I've had these for a while, and it's been the unfortunate kind of winter where I've had ample opportunity to test them. Two additions to my review. First, they've started to hurt. I put them on and the spot where the velcro strap cuts across the top of my foot is instantly sore. I've tried loosening the strap to the point where it's way loose and it still hurts. It hurts enough with every single step - both feet, in my big sturdy boots, even - that I don't want to wear these any more than I absolutely have to. Which is good, because, secondly, they're starting to wear out. Already, if you can believe it. (Apparently I should have paid closer attention to the other reviews, huh?) Some of the coils have started to untwist, or worse, they've snapped altogether. They still work, but now I REALLY can't wear them inside because they snag rugs/carpeting. I still think they work pretty well, but I'm going to be [ticked] if I have to get a new pair once a month if this winter (and future ones) are as bad as the last month or two have been.EDIT #2: I started out giving these four stars but I've knocked them down to three. My earlier comment about a new pair once a month wasn't too far from the mark. I've had these barely over two months and so many of the little coils have broken that they've become more trouble than they're worth. Granted, I've worn them more frequently than I probably would in a normal winter - we've had a remarkable amount of awful weather this year - but still. They probably would have held up better had I *only* used them on ice and packed snow, but that's unrealistic. I mean, it would be lovely if everyone shoveled and salted right after every storm, but some people will and some people won't and there will always be stretches of clear sidewalk/street between the icy bits.I finally gave up and bought a pair of Kahtoola Microspikes. (Link:  Kahtoola MICROspikes Traction System ) These aren't perfect either, and they're certainly more expensive than Yaktrax, but they're definitely superior. On smooth ice, Yaktrax were "better than nothing" while the Kahtoolas are completely slip-free. Neither can be worn inside, and they're both probably about equal pains to get on and off (Kahtoolas might be slightly easier). The Kahtoolas are more secure and more comfortable and it's clear they're going to hold up. When you consider how much it would cost to replace Yaktrax after every 5 or 10 or whatever miles, you're better off just shelling out the cash for the good stuff now.

I bought these after having taken a spill a couple of years ago and winding up with a broken foot. As I'm now petrified of snow and ice, I found myself having anxiety anytime I needed to walk out in it. After the great blizzard of '10 hit in my hometown of NYC, I knew I had to find a solution. So Yaktrax Pro it was. They were quite difficult to put on my boots and required a bit of painful stretching from heel to toe, but once they were on, they felt secure. I, of course, can't leave the house on without my boots on and I found walking on my wood floors to be treacherous, so I navigated my indoor stairs very slowly and cautiously. The good news? Once I got outside they really did their job. I felt secure walking through the freezing rain/snow/sleet that was falling and had accumulated on the ground, where normally I would be slip sliding all around.The bad news? Once I got into the lobby of my office building I took a spill because the Yaktrax and regular marble or wood flooring, don't mix and I then missed my elevator because if I had walked any quicker, I would have fallen again.Since they were so difficult to get on, I can't imagine taking them off every single time I enter a building or putting them on, every single time I'm about to leave.So what's the solution? I haven't figured one out yet, but I'm certainly disappointed that it seems I'm going to have to continue to live in fear of falling and breaking something, only this time, indoors.

After doing some research, I purchased the "YakTrax Pro" to use for ice/snow traction when walking the dogs a mile or two in the evenings. I am VERY happy with the performance of these things so far - although I have only used them about 6 or 7 times.In winter (Ohio), the bike path I walk on is always a mix of snow and ice (VERY rough after the tracks of many people freeze and thaw over and over), open asphalt pavement, and - most dangerous of all - the runoff from the snow and ice that melts, flows over the open asphalt, and then refreezes to become "black ice". I was worried that the YakTrak Pro's would be slick on dry pavement, or that walking on dry pavement would tear them up. So far, I have had NO PROBLEMS. I can walk at a normal pace and stride, whether the pavement is dry, wet, black ice, or covered with uneven ice/snow pack! It's SO wonderful! Every time I take the YakTrax off I inspect them closely to see if the stainless steel wire has begun to cut through the rubber webbing that supports it. SO FAR, I can see no damage (I'm knocking on wood right now!) Only time will tell, but so far I am a happy camper. As far as I am concerned, being able to walk the dogs safely would be worth the cost even if I end up having to buy another pair before winter ends.[Update: we just had a HARD freeze and the black ice is thick on the path. I found that with the YakTrax there was NO slippage from side to side! The only slippage was slight as the foot being raised to take the next step broke contact with the ice. But at that point your weight has already been transferred to your other foot, which remains very stable. These things are amazing! I did shorten my stride on black ice, but I was able to proceed with complete confidence!]One note of caution - there are warnings all over the box about YakTraxs NOT being intended for indoor use! Well, duh! They will cut up a wood floor and might be dangerous on smooth tile/marble -especially while wet. That's just common sense. However, I find that I have not had any problems putting them on in the basement and then walking across carpet and smooth concrete floors to the car in the garage, or in driving the short distance to the place we walk. Also no problem walking on pavement from the car to the walking path. In fact, when walking on pavement, I notice a pleasant little "spring" to my step, if you will excuse the pun. Just do be careful when walking on smooth surfaces, of course!Some pointers: When you take the YakTrax out of the box, they look a bit complicated. I found that it really helped to FIRST CAREFULLY READ the directions on the inside cover of the box! Second - take your shoe/boot off and hold it sole up between your knees while you figure out how to put the YakTrax on for the first time. The narrow end is the TOE (it is labeled, if you look closely). Once you get it on correctly the first time, you will say "Oh, that's simple - it's easy!" Next time you will be able to do it while wearing your shoes. Third, and this is just me, although there is no "left" or "right", I like to have the loop that the top strap passes through on the centerline side of my boot - I can reach it and see what I am doing better that way.Finally, it does take a little strength to stretch the YakTrax over your boot. If you really have a lot of trouble with that, AND you have a pair of shoes or boots that you can set aside for them, you could just leave the YakTrax on them. The only problem is that the stretching tension from the YakTrax would tend to pull the toe up toward the heel. You could avoid that problem by using one of those wooden Shoesaver inserts in each shoe. That would be a last resort, however - you really should have little problem getting the YakTraxs on and off once you get the hang of it!

Just a word of warning about the sizing of these, having received a pair today.They are advertised by the seller here as being Small, Medium, and so on, which is way too vague to be of much help. I'm a ladies' (UK) size 6, and guessed Large might be about right given that I'd want to put them on over chunky boots, and didn't want to have to fight to stretch them on. Turns out I should have ordered Small. Yes, SMALL! The ones I've received are way too big for me, even when worn with beefy size 7 hiking boots.Here's the sizing info off the actual carton, so you don't make the same annoying and costly mistake I did. For clarity, I've converted them to UK sizes here.SMALLMen: 4.5 - 8 (UK)Women: 4 - 7.5 (UK)MEDIUMMen: 8.5 - 10.5 (UK)Women: 8 - 10 (UK)LARGEMen: 11 - 13 (UK)Women: 10.5 - 12.5 (UK)EXTRA LARGEMen: 13.5+ (UK)Women: 13+ (UK)The XL size has been made for a yeti, surely?Clearly I'll not be using the pair I've received due to their extreme size, so I can't tell you whether they work on ice and snow, but they look to be well-made and quite stretchy. Certainly I'd consider getting another pair in Small. If I do, I'll report back on their effectiveness.

I ordered these in medium for my wife who is a size 9 (UK) and they fit well over all her shoes. They are stretched pretty far on her trainers and at the absolute limit on her Wellington boots but still perfectly usable. If you are a size 10 you should definitely get large, with a wide (men's) size 9 I would also maybe lean towards getting large if you intend to wear them over a clumpy pair of boots.What really amazed me when I ordered it was that my shoe size was also catered for, so I quickly ordered an additional pair of Extra Large. I'm a size 14 (UK) so I had just assumed I wouldn't be able to get anything like this to fit. You might think that it would be impossible to slip with that kind of surface-area, but I have proven you wrong on several occasions! The extra large is a perfect fit for any of my shoes, it doesn't feel like it's stretched quite as far as my wife's and so if you're a 15 you'd probably be fine, MAYBE a 16 would be ok but probably not a big pair of boots (this is just an educated guess so take it with a pinch of salt).Regarding the function of the product, I've had a good chance to test it as they happened to arrive on the first day of snow. I've been out and about and found them excellent, I didn't feel unsteady at all. That is, until I got back inside and stepped on our tiled floor. Be warned: They (and probably many other brands of similar products) are quite skiddy on non-icy ground, so if you are thinking of putting them on your shoes and forgetting about them when you go around shops or train stations etc, you might want to reconsider. They really should be removed when you leave the ice, which - in practice - is a little irritating. With that caveat I would totally recommend them, any unsteadiness on tiled floors is insignificant compared to the peace of mind they grant on the snow and ice. It's really nice to enjoy the snow and not feel like you are moments away from a nasty fall.

I have put these on my walking boots. I am female, about a size 5. The particular walking boots are a size 7 (I was a bit suprised today when I dug them out of the wardrobe, thought they were a 6) are made by Columbia (bought from Milletts about 8 years ago)It was a bit of a stretch to get them on & took a few minutes.I found jamming them between my knees was the best way. I put them on the wrong way/inside out a couple of times too. I wasn't wearing them at the time! I think it is correct to have the round Yaktrax logo on the back & the word YAKTRAX on the front toes. Also took me about 15mins to work out that velcro strap does not stay on the underneath. It needs to removed, & put on the top of the shoe (over it). The the word YAKTRAX will show on top Need to put it throught the rubber side. Then the item is firmly attached to your shoe for extra security.Not too sure why I seem to have a kind of buckle thing, certainly the velcro strap is not long enough to go through it. It doesnt seem to matter though.Anyway they ready now & I hope they keep me feeling secure, if I have to venture out! Have bought pairs for my son & parents so really hoping they work & last. Will update this after use. They seem sturdy & I thought maybe better than other ones with spikes that might fall out. I feel well worth a try to avoid falls & broken bones.

I bought a pair of these when the heavy snow started in Edinburgh in December 2010, and it turned out to be just in time. The streets were icy for weeks afterwards, and even with new snow boots I was sliding around. After putting the Yaktrax on, ice was no problem. I made a point of testing them by walking up an ice-covered (uneven) incline of about thirty degrees, and it's genuinely like walking on dry ground. In retrospect, I feel quite stupid for never trying them before, and struggling around on ice every Winter.Obviously, you still need to use common sense - I wouldn't try to run on ice while wearing these (or ever), but as long as you walk at a normal pace and plant your feet properly (heel-then-toe for even ice, or stepping with your entire foot flat for very treacherous/uneven slick icy ground), you'll be absolutely fine. It's not an exaggeration to say that these things prevented a lot of arguments in our house, by letting us still get out and about on foot during the worst of the weather. They were about twenty quid when I bought them, and I'd buy them again in a second.I've walked with them for about three weeks, and they're showing no signs of wear or damage (worn over hiking boots). The fact that they're coils rather than spikes also means they won't tend to puncture/damage your floors as much, if you can't bear to take them off on your doorstep. Just don't walk on lino (they'll leave marks, naturally). Another common sense note: wearing coils on dry, smooth, indoor surfaces (say your supermarket) will give you less grip than your regular shoes - these are intended only for ice, at which point they come into their own. Be sure to take them off when you go indoors.They're ideal for anyone who is nervous when out and about on ice, or who has a habit (ladies) of wearing shoes without much grip. They'd also presumably be perfect for anyone infirm or with mobility problems, to give extra protection in poor walking conditions. In Winter, I won't be without these from now on.

Having fallen badly on ice last winter I was determined never for it to happen again. So with a little trepidation I decided to buy some 'Yaktrax'. Admittedly they look odd when you get them out the box, and I wondered how the heck I would fit them on my boots. However they are very easy to pop on your shoes and conform to the sole shape excellently. The trax are rubber with super strong steel coils added in a distinctive diamond pattern. These metal coils grip into the ice/snow and provide 360 degree traction. Basically that means no slips. The velcro strap is ideal if you are worried the trax may come off your shoe/boot, I wear mine with the strap but if you have thick soles on your shoes (like DM's) then there will be plenty for them to grip onto without the strap, which is removable. Some people have mentioned sizing problems, as a guide I wear the aforementioned Doctor Martens boots UK size 9 and so I bought the large size trax. They fit great and the coils go all the way to the edge of my boots, they will fit up to a UK size 12. Because my shoe size is at the lower end of the range for Large Yaktrax there is more 'give' in the rubber, they may be a little trickier to fit on larger sizes but they will fit.Today I finally got the chance to really test the trax, I have been walking on packed ice and deep snow both on the flat and up embankments (in the local park) I didn't slip once and got some very odd looks from people confused as to why I was marching along at a normal pace. They are easy to remove when you get to concrete or internal floors (which you are not advised to walk on in them as you can slip) and easy to replace with a little practice.All in all I give the trax 10/10 and I'm confident that I will have a concussion free Christmas this year.