Kahtoola1st Gen NANOspikes Footwear Traction for ICY Winter Road Running & Walking

Kahtoola makes the best ice grippers. They are well-made, durable, easy to put on and take off, and reasonably priced. I wear the NANOspikes for everyday use on icy roads, sidewalks, and trails. I even wear them at the winter ocean beach if there are any icy patches, walking on rocks, gravel, and sand. They just keep working! I do check the sharp tips to make sure I have not worn down any, especially on the heel, and expect to replace them every year or two due to my constant use and miles a day use during our long Alaskan winter. It's a bargain compared to a trip to the emergency room.I use the more aggressive MICROspikes on icy, snowy steeper trails; I find they are overkill for general day-to-day use but provide excellent traction up and down steep trails and slopes.After years of use, the chains may rip through the rubber and there are ways to reattach the chain with key rings, etc to give them more life. If this, or other issues happen during the warranty, the company stands behind its product and are wonderful to work with.I have experimented with other brands: the chain design and coil designs slid on a very slight slope and gave me no confidence whatsoever. I find other brands lost on the trails where they simply fell off due to an inadequate rubber harness. A simple velcro or cord strap crossing over the top of the boot is a good idea for any ice grippers to ensure they never slip off.Don't bother with the cheaper brands: Kahoola is the best.

These are very well made and should provide years of service. I bought them on the recommendation of a couple friends who have had theirs for a very long time. Sizing seems accurate enough on these and the "large" size fits nice and snug on my Size 10 hiking shoes. I haven't walked on them a great deal yet but I've tested them out on my long gravel driveway that gets really slick after I plow the snow almost but not quite to the bottom, leaving a layer of ice after cars drive on it. I felt very steady walking on that surface as well as my iced up concrete patio.

I wear these over my regular running sneakers in the winter when I want to run on packed snow trails. Best I’ve used for comfort, ease of putting on, and performance! Can maintain close to my regular running pace .

The only thing I find difficult is the two metal “loops” on the top dig into my foot. I have to really pull the front out over my toe as it moves towards the back and sits on my instep. But the small spikes are comfortable to walk and run.

Keeps grip on glare ice. I wore while hiking on icy trails with hills and while working with dog teams on frozen lakes. Also fine to wear when there are patches of ice and you have to walk on rocks, dirt or pavement between. Did not wear down the traction.

I'm a pretty committed winter mountain hiker and have trusted Kahtoola for a long time with a few of their their products. Confidence is everything with footwear traction and I've always felt that with Kahtoola spikes.I bought a new pair of Nano's for myself and my girlfriend to help us navigate very icy, steep roads and non-technical trails with hardpack and ice. I highly recommend them for that kind of usage. They're secure, easy to get on and off and have enough bite that you can move with confidence. With more demanding terrain where you need a little more you can move up accordingly with the EXO's, Micro's (which is what I use in most conditions) and then either the K10's or KTS's for mountaineering. All deliver the goods.As does Kahtoola's customer service. I was recently out on a relatively level hike where there was a little new snow over ice and they handled it perfectly. But finishing up I noticed one was gone. I went back the next day to see if I could find but as I was roaming around off trail near a lake I figured they were gone. But found it. Actually near the lake shore and half buried in mud. What I saw is three points where they snapped. I've NEVER had a pair snap on me so I was really surprised.I contacted Kahtoola and their customer service was exceptional. It was obvious to me that they do not want their products failing. They're not in the business of selling crap and they clearly take producing safety devices seriously. They did ask that I take some pictures and send the product in so they could analyze it. What they felt happened is that somehow the product came loose and some animals chewed in to the rubber to snap them. Maybe that's what happened. I'm not sure. But what I do know is they immediately replaced the pair, at no cost to me, and I was back on ice quickly.I tend to buy higher end gear because I use it and function/performance matters. So I'm familiar with the "buy once-cry once" mantra. But if stuff happens to crap out I expect the service to be in line with the cost. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.So my suggestion is that those interested in this product shouldn't even THINK about budget shopping. What you get for your 50, 60, 70 bucks or higher depending on your traction is SO worth it. And knowing that Kahtoola really stands behind their products is the icing (get it?) on the cake.So yeah. Kahtoola is THE brand to buy. No doubt in my mind. I'll be a lifer. Happy Trails.

I bought these for walking on residential streets where recent snowfall creates icy conditions or vehicles compact the snow and it is extremely slippery. I have only used this product a few times but am quite satisfied with the performance and sense of safety I feel while walking. I put this product on my 'walking shoes' which are like a beefed up tennis shoes. My shoe size is 14. I ordered the XL size of this product. It is quite difficult to slip onto my large shoe and when it is on it is quite snug, no concern of it slipping off. Due to the difficulty of putting it on, I leave it on all the time. If I am going to wear these somewhere other than walking I will bring another pair of shoes so I don't wear them into a building or while driving. I wonder how the spikes will hold up walking on a bare no-ice street or sidewalk. The price is reasonable enough that if they last an entire snow season I will be happy to buy a replacement.

Definite worth the money vsr falling!

Easy to put on. One of a very few companies that make extra large crampons. My son has size 13 boots and they fit really well . No slippage; stay snug. Don’t know yet how long they will last as he’s only had them for three weeks, but has used them every day. No complaints about performance. The negative: they are too expensive. I have bought size large from another company that work just as well, for a third of the price of these.

I've used them twice so far, in this terribly icy December. I first used them when going to a big-box store and today I used them to go for an 8 km (5 mile) walk on sidewalks and multi-use trails. They've been on icy and snow-packed parking lots, inside large stores, on icy sidewalks, hard-packed snow, soft snow, slush, and a some bare pavement and concrete. Temperature was about -5C (23F) when used. Almost all my walking so far has been on flat or gently sloping terrain.Traction is great on sidewalks. On loose or hard snow you don't even notice you have them on but they probably aren't really needed there. On ice they are very noisy, like walking on bubble wrap, as you feel and hear the spikes bite into the ice. Superb traction. Also fantastic crossing intersections where cars have spun their tires and polished up the snow and ice. On cement and asphalt they are noisy but they feel fine underfoot. My only slight slip has been on slush crossing a road - get deep enough slush and it packs under your shoe and the spikes have nothing to bite into.Only use them outdoors. The time I went into the store and its hard tile floor was not good. Instead of having my entire shoe tread make contact with the floor, I was instead walking on the tips of 10 pegs under each foot. That was sketchy.Overall I find them excellent so far. Superb traction on icy sidewalks and roads compared to when they aren't on my running shoe. Don't use indoors.

Gut zum Joggen bei Eis und Schnee.

Brilliant on snow and ice. Felt very safe, easy to put on and off