The media could not be loaded. I live in Salt Lake City Utah and am a professional dog hiker, which means I take packs of dogs off leash hiking on mountain trails every day, all year long, rain, snow or shine. At least 7 months of the year are spent hiking in ice, snow and slush. I've been doing this for years now and have seriously tried every kind of spike, ice cleat and nubs on the market and I have been displeased with some aspect of all of them until now. The micro spikes with the chains work well on ice, but are cumbersome to hike long distances in and are TERRIBLE in fresh powder! The snow accumulates between the chains and my boot soles and has to be knocked out periodically or it feels like I'm hiking on stilettos. Additionally, I have yet to find a pair where the chains haven't broken before a single season is up, no matter how much I pay for them. The little ice nubs that resemble golf shoe spikes are much more lower profile, easier to hike in and more comfortable to wear. They do an ok job on ice, but certainly not as secure as spikes. Also, any of the spikes that stretch over my boots tend to move while hiking, requiring me to stop regularly to adjust them, even those that come with a velcro strap. The coiled metal wire spring looking kind are just plain worthless in my experience. Again, I have tried numerous types at numerous price points and I still haven't been satisfied with any one pair. When the first snow fell and then subsequently melted and froze overnight creating an ice sheet on trail, I ordered these hoping that somehow they would be different and better than everything else I already have and have tried. OH. MY. GOSH. Where have these been all my life!? They are as close to perfection as anything I have ever found and I am absolutely hooked!!! First and most importantly, the unique design of the spikes themselves is the perfect combination of grippy spike and low profile easy to walk on nub. They resemble large screw heads (see pics). It's a genius design that clearly was the result of ACTUAL field testing. I have never felt some comfortable and secure on ice and snow as I do in these. Second, THEY STAY PUT!!!! HALLELUJAH!! The design of the boot attachment is just as brilliant as the spikes themselves. The toe box and heel cup stay nice and secure and the two velcro straps are perfectly placed and are very heavy duty. I love that I can put these on over the top of my waterproof ankle gaiters . It doesn't matter how thick or chunky your boot is (I wear size 8.5 womens Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX waterproof boots and REI brand gaiters) or what you wear over them. As long as you get the right length, there is plenty of strap to secure them to your boots. Third, unlike all those others that I mentioned, these were clearly designed specifically with hikers in mind because the spiked sections only appear on the ball of the foot and the heel and do not span the entire bottom of the boot. This is great for numerous reasons but it's much more comfortable and also allows for actual natural foot bending and flexing in the middle of the sole while hiking. The other kinds that stretch across the entire bottom of the boot make me feel less stable because my actual boot isn't touching the real ground anywhere. They restrict natural walking and hiking motion and allow for very little natural flexing. Again, this is such a simple thing, but you'd be hard pressed to find another spike maker who has thought to include this feature in their design. I have been hiking with these on every day for 3 months now in slush, powder, wet mud, complete ice sheets and everything in between and I have yet to find terrain that they can't handle. When other hikers around me are falling all over themselves with their cheap slip on spikes and their trekking poles, I look like a veritable mountain goat running past them! The silicone that holds the spikes in place is very thick and well made as well. The only thing that could make them better (and the only reason I took off a star) is if they had reinforced the strap slits with metal or thick plastic such that the strap could slide through without causing the silicone to turn itself in circles when the straps are pulled tight. I know that probably doesn't make much sense but I'll try to include a picture of what I mean. If the makers of Stabil-icers are reading this, that would be something to include in V2. Beyond that, I really cannot recommend these enough if you hike or are active outdoors in winter conditions. Trust someone who has truly put them to the test, they passed with flying colors and then some! I sincerely hope this review has been helpful to someone else. Feel free to ask any questions! And yes, I paid full price for these!
