Kahtoola Microspikes Traction Device Review

Before my last winter hiking trip to Great Smoky Mountains National park, I wasn’t sure what footwear I would be need for navigating the icy ledges along the trails. After careful consideration, I purchased Kahtoola Microspikes and used them to hike to the summit of Mount Leconte. In this review, I’ll tell you what you can expect from your Microspikes, should you choose to buy them.

I normally wear waterproof, Gore-Tex Timberland hiking boots, so I was looking for a traction device that would fit comfortably over them. The Kahtoola Microspikes seemed to fit the bill, so I ordered them from an online retailer. Two days later they were in my possession and I was instantly impressed. They retail for approximately $60, and I was concerned that they would be flimsy and cheap. This was not the case at all, as the rubber strapping was very thick and felt very durable to the touch.

The fit was also very true to size. I wear Size 11 boots, and the Large Microspikes fit perfectly over them. I might be a little concerned if you wear a size 13 or larger because the Microspikes fit fairly tight around my 11s. I was happily surprised by how easy it was to take the Microscpikes on and off. While they fit firmly around the boot, the rubber strapping is surprisingly pliable given its thickness. This is a welcome convenience since most of the time you’ll be putting your Microspikes on while wearing thick gloves.

I took my Microspikes to Great Smoky Mountains National Park for hikes to the summits of Mt. Leconte and Chimney Tops in early January. It snowed heavily the day of the first hike, and the trails were covered with ice for most of our time there. As a result, I was very happy that I brought the Microspikes with me, but I was still unsure how they would perform. About halfway to the summit of Mt. Leconte, the ice became too dangerous to continue with only our boots, so we stopped along a ledge and slipped on the Microspikes.

The Microspikes performed beautifully. Although they only have have ten spikes protruding from the bottom, they bite the ice very well and I was able to walk up fairly steep inclines of ice-covered rock. Another nice feature of the Microspikes is that you can’t really feel the spikes and chain when you’re walking. One might think that when you walk on hard ground you could feel the spikes on the pressure points, but it was very comfortable. Granted, that could be partly due to the boots I was wearing, but I’ve also worn the Microspikes with North Face trail running shoes and they felt comfortable over those, too.

Overall, I was very pleased with the Microspikes. For a retail price of about $60, I feel like they are a fair price for the quality that you receive. I’m sure they spikes will wear down after a number of hikes, so I wouldn’t really want to pay more than $60. But as far as hiking gear goes, $60 is in the mid-range for a gear purchase, and if you’re hiking in icy conditions that don’t quite require crampons, then Microspikes are the best product on the market, in my opinion.

I’ve had YakTrax for two winters, and I’ve worn them while walking the dogs and shoveling snow. They work well for those purposes, but I’ve found that if you want to hike on ice-covered rock, they simply don’t bite nearly as well as the Microspikes. On the other hand, the YakTrax are more affordable than Microspikes. So if you’re only walking on snowy surfaces while doing winter chores, YakTrax will most definitely suffice.

Stabilicers are another type of strap-on traction device that fit over your boots and shoes. With regard to traction capability, I put these in between Microspikes and YakTrax. They are much better for gripping ice than YakTrax, but they are not good for hiking uphill. The major advantage to the stabilicers is that you are able to buy screw-in replacement spikes separately, which could be a big money-saver if you are an avid hiker.

The best purchase for hardcore mountain hiking in icy conditions is Microspikes. However, if you’re only doing casual hiking, or you would simply like a little more traction while walking outside in the winter, then either YakTrax or Stabilicers will get the job done.