KahtoolaEXOspikes Footwear Traction for Winter Hiking & Running in Snow, Ice & Rocky Terrain

You can’t go wrong with Kahtoolas!When it comes down to safety and durability Kahtoolas rule! We’ve been wearing them for several years in very icy SE Alaska conditions.My husband and I just purchased the EXOspikes and started using them. They are the perfect mid use gripper for thick icy paths and trails requiring extra grip. The EXOspikes are more comfortable to walk on then the MICROspikes we were wearing.The MICROspikes work more like crampons and we found them helpful for walking up mountain trails in winter. (When walking on the wrong terrain that is too thin for MICROspikes, it can feel like you are walking barefoot on gravel!)We also have the NANOspikes we use for milder conditions like slippery trail boardwalks, icy parking lots and sidewalks.The quality and grade of materials used for Kahtoolas is high and durable. We went through 3-4 pairs of other grippers that broke, fell apart or rusted before we purchased our first pairs of Kahtoolas.We were willing to pay extra for our health and safety. We likely saved money too, since our first pairs of Kahtoolas are still in use and showing little wear or dulling of the ‘spikes’ even with frequent use hiking, walking, etc.

I have put these through the test. Now I have well over 200 miles of icy and snow pack trails with several thousand feet of vertical ascent and descent on the hills and mountains of the front range of Colorado. For ice they are far superior to micro spikes, for snow packed trails they are at least equal to micro spikes, but looser deeper snow and mud micro spikes are necessary. They have not dulled in the slightest even after having run through many miles of gravel and rocky trails. I am a big fan of Kahtoola products as they hold up and perform far better than the copies. And no I don't work for them.

Got a pair on a trip to Iceland, lost'em somewhere.These are the perfect balance between adding a spike and adding traction for walking in the snow or packed snow path.If you are planning a winter trip or just live where you walk in the snow these are a great help. When you get where you are going these easily come off and you can walk in your boot as normal.

I bought a pair of NANOspikes quite a few years ago, and they've worked GREAT. I've used them on hikes through the woods in snow and icy spots, plus if it's really bad, I use a hiking stick too, and I haven't fallen once. They grip beautifully. So this year I bought my husband a pair of the NANOspikes, confident they would work well too, and they have. Because we walk every day in the woods, we both just leave them on one pair of boots for slippery days. But that said, they're easy to get on and off, yet tight enough that you know they're not going to come off. I see they're on sale now (early March) so now's the time to get 'em!

I have used the Microspikes for many years and they are my gold standard. I bought these for conditions where there are trail sections of ice and sections of dirt because they seemed less aggressive and more suitable for dirt/rock conditions. I have worn them four times.First and most importantly is the size problem. I wear a size 12 boot. The XL Microspikes fit great and easy to put on the regular hikers and heavier insulated winter boots. These Exospikes in XL only fit my size 12 boots after a big struggle in my living room sitting down. I left them on my boots for a few days to hopefully stretch them out a bit. This helped putting them on again. However, when trying to put them on during a hike, when they are cold and less stretchable, another struggle and I had to sit. So if you wear a boot greater than a 12, forget about getting these on. Come on Kahtoola, you need to made these in XXL. I keep them stored at home on the boots for continued stretching.Performance on ice was great. They dug in well and I had no slippage. I don't know how they compare to the Microspikes, which would still be my go to traction devices in severe steep icy trails without patches of dirt. They weight about one half as much as Microspikes.Durability I guess would be marginal given that the bottom is made out of a plastic type of material rather than stainless steel chain (Microspikes), particularly if they are worn a lot on dirt/rock sections. With these concerns, I would still recommend them for spotty ice/dirt conditions. Even if I only get one or two seasons use, it is still much cheaper than a broken wrist or hip. I don't recommend them if you wear a boot or shoe size greater than 12.

Pros:-Good traction and stability. Excellent for Canadian cold winters.-Very durable, long-lasting.-Nearly unnoticeable when walking, after getting used to it.Cons:-May not fit every shoe size or type.-First time users might feel uneasy when in use.-Extremely rare occurances of gripping when on certain soft material surfaces.Full Review:I purchased these shoe exospikes for a slippery and icy Canadian winter in Alberta. They still work great to this day and will be used for the upcoming winter!Inside the package, there is the exospikes themselves, a manual, and instructions. The guide is easy to follow, and I had the spikes placed securely on my shoes within ten minutes.The day after I received them, there had been freezing rain, with -20C to -30C cold temperatures. When I looked outside, the entire sidewalk was covered in ice, and portions of the roads as well. Firmly fastening and tightening them, I headed for a walk to test how they held against the outdoor conditons.The first couple steps I took with them felt uneasy, but when I expected to slip on the ice, they gripped on and prevented me from suddenly sliding. Afterwards, they held up the whole 45 minute journey, and although for the first five minutes it was uncomfortable, I soon got used to them and carried on.When I returned home, they still retained their subtle, but durable spikes on the bottom, allowing me to go up the stairs towards my front door without any problems. Once I got inside, they were easy to take off, and I left them to dry.For most instances where I needed to go out afterwards, such as grocery shopping or taking walks, I almost always used these for a safe trip. Only when there was not as much ice, I did not wear these as when walking on softer floors, like in certain stores, the spikes would infrequently grip the threads and make it harder to walk around.Overall, these exospikes worked great, and held up to the extremely slippery conditions. They are very durable, lightweight, and will work well for other similar environments one may face. I am definitely using these for the upcoming winter here in Alberta, Canada, and I recommend these extensively for any person with similar outdoor conditions. I rate these 10/10!

Superbra

Got these before the week long gritter strike in Northern Ireland so I can use them for walking to and from work. These are the best grips I've ever had, and trust me I have used many, many brands and types of grips in my 20 years of needing to use them. The quality is very good also.What I would suggest though is, if you're in doubt of going a size up or down, go a size up just incase. My size was EU 43 (UK 9) so went for a Large instead of a Medium because I was unsure if they would snap when putting them on and was glad I opted for the bigger size (just that extra stretch).Only time will tell how long they last. Will make sure to write an updated review in the future about having a full and lengthy experience using the Exogrips.

These wrap nicely over the shoe so it won't come lose like some others. Sure it may take 20sec more to put it on. But i can actually rely on these

There hasn’t been a lot of opportunity to wear these yet but so far but the grip on ice is excellent, as expected. I find the security of the boot fit is very good and they are more comfortable under foot than my previous set of Nano Spikes.Okay, I have now used these grippers a fair bit walking dogs during a very icy January, this year.I have owned a range of grippers over more than 20 years and these are certainly the best yet. I like that they do not tend to shift over on the soles of my boots and have yet to be repositioned; I leave them on my boots. I put this down to the rubber-web nature of the spike frame and think that it springs back into place if displaced.The down side to this purchase is of course the cost. Amazon are selling grippers similar to Nano Spikes, I believe but I have not tried them yet but they come with a considerable saving. That said however, I am very satisfied with my purchase which will be amortized over a number of years!