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Wintertime has become one of my favorite times to hike thanks to my microspikes. These helpful hiking gear slip easily over my boots to provide me with excellent traction on ice and other slippery winter surfaces.
Hiking With Confidence
I am not a graceful person by any means. Hiking has helped me gain a lot of dexterity over the years, but no one would ever accuse me of being graceful. Therefore winter hiking can be extra challenging for people like me. Well, it was, until I discovered microspikes. These are the winter hiker’s best friends, especially winter hikers who enjoy venturing in places where there is serious ice.
Varieties
We really enjoy winter waterfalls which are themselves all ice and the surrounding areas are usually all covered in ice as well. A danger zone for slipping and falling. Once I purchased my first pair of microspikes a whole new world opened up for me. There are several varieties of ice traction footwear that slip right over the bottom of your shoes.
Ice Cleats Traction Snow Grips for Hiking and Walking
Don’t let the ice and snow stop you from enjoying the breathtaking beauty of winter. These traction grips help outdoor adventurers explore icy terrain safely.
Microspikes
These are microspikes and my personal favorites. I prefer microspikes because I need real support on the ice and the metal spikes grip the ice better than anything I’ve tried. I usually will leave these on a particular pair of boots, so I don’t have to keep taking them on and off again. The only downside of these is you really can’t wear them anywhere other than the great outdoors. They really frown on people walking into Wegmans with large metal spikes on the bottom of their shoes, scratching up their floors.
Ice Cleats
These have metal gripping teeth on the bottom (design varies by brand). While the microspikes design is chains and metal spikes, these tend to be more rubber with metal teeth spaced out on the bottom. Good for sure-footed people who want a little extra grip.
Yaktrax
Yaktrax are popular for all around winter wear. They work as well on the trail as they do in the supermarket parking lot. They are lightweight and the spiral metal wrapped around the rubber, which provide great traction with the added bonus of being able to go into any business without sounding like a cowboy from the wild west clicking around in spurs.
Crampons
Crampons are heavy-duty, made for climbing ice, not for hiking. I only added these to the list because people mistakenly call the other traction footwear on the list crampons (I used to be one of them.) If you google “crampons” all the other versions will show up. I think it is just one of those words that people used to cover a multitude of gear. In fact, the name brand of my microspikes is “Crampons.”
Where to Buy
I purchased mine at Amazon, but you can also buy them at any sporting goods store and many online retailers. Microspikes, Ice Cleats, and Yaktrax aren’t expensive, but you don’t want to buy a cheap pair. My first pair of microspikes barely lasted me a full winter because they weren’t good quality. The rubber on the side of the shoe began to rip, and to keep them from falling apart, I had to leave them on my boots. If I stretched them at all to pull them off, they would have broken. The next year I bought a better quality pair and they have held up so much better.
Ice Cleats Traction Snow Grips for Hiking and Walking
I purchased my microspikes on Amazon.
