Yaktrax Traction Chains for Walking on Ice and Snow (1 Pair)

I believe I am one of the *most* qualified people to review these chains. Why? Because I'm Australian. Ice is not my natural predator. I don't understand it, I don't expect it, and I have fallen on it many many times in the past. I need all the help I can get, and if a product is no good, I WILL end up on my butt. Wore these chains around the icy towns and tourist locations of Norway and Iceland. I was also with a senior (late 70s) who has never experienced these conditions before. Neither of us ever slipped, while people around us not wearing chains slipped and fell. We both felt that these did an excellent job for the basic conditions we were in (pavement, iced over paths in national parks, etc). I felt sure on my feet and they provided good traction. They were also easier and more comfortable to walk on normal pavement with than the crampons that have actual spikes on them, and didn't feel like they were damaging the path. THEY DO RUN SMALL. The size guide says my boots should fit into an S. I had to return an S, and an M, before finally fitting into an L.

Best ice-gripping traction I have found in this price range. Edmonton has had some S.O.B. weather, and there is thiick black on the sidewalks in many places. These allow me to walk with confidence. Robustly made and easy to slip on to my shoes.

This is the perfect balance between traction and walkability. Spikes are fine for snowy trails, but you can't wear them to walk the dog on the sidewalks around town. The rubber slicks with the tiny metal pins grip okay on ice, but they turn the rest of the sole of your shoe into a slick surface, so you don't get the advantage of the extra traction your lugs might otherwise give in soft snow. These chains split the difference perfectly. They bite well into ice, but still leave the lugs of your sole exposed so they can add traction in soft snow. Our neighbors have sump pumps that create sheets of water over the sidewalk that later freeze. Sometimes these sheets of smooth ice are visible and sometimes they're hidden under a layer of snow. I was able to walk the dog around town without a single slip - even through areas that I'd nearly busted my rump on the day before. And when I got to a clear patch (where someone has actually shoveled their sidewalk), the chains are low-profile enough to let me walk normally - feels kind of like walking in pea gravel, which is fine. I even wore these while carving a channel by the mailboxes to let melting snow drain away from the area it normally pools - standing on 2-3 inches of solid ice while swinging a mattock, and never slipped a single time. Very easy to put on and take off too. If you need a versatile traction-enhancing device that works on a variety of surfaces, you won't be disappointed in these.

Works well on ice

Got them delivered this afternoon. Instalation was super easy ... much easier than the last 2 cleats (over the last 5-10 years) were to install. Instalation was almost intuative, and superbly engineered to perfectly fit my running/walking shoes. After I installed these cleats/chains, I went out to the store about a block away. These shoe chains have already saved me from a fall on black ice under the powdery snow. Score: 5 out of 5 for these !