Hiking Equipment

ICEtrekkers designed by Kako for the best traction and comfort for whatever nature offers… ICEtrekkers are designed for maximum use and user comfort. These are not disposable lightweight Ice Cleats.

User Reviews about ICEtrekkers Shoe Diamond Grip (1 Pair)

This worked really well especially our very slick sidewalks. The traction is very good. It works well on my medium sized boots however would have to order the larger size for my Lands End snow shoes. I have no regrets in my purchase and hope to use it in another snow storm. -- Purchased during the snowstorm of 2010

I hike in a group which uses microspikes, yaktrax, and screwshoes. I bought there ultra traction Diamond Grips last week ($36) and have used them on two three-hour hikes in Boulder. Right now the conditions are very mixed- Hard glare ice and crunchy ice in the morning, slush and fresh snow on the way down two hours later. On very hard clean ice I was slipping a bit when the angles were greater than 20º, but the slide was predictable and I could get a perfect grip by doing a bit of a toe kick to set the chains. There was no pack-up on ice and cold snow. Traction on deeper snow and slush was good.
With snow that is more wet mixed with debris there is some pack-up which can be kicked off. Traction on wet rocks is better than with shoes, though I try to step on dirt to reduce grinding. I'm using a Medium size on a low-profile 8.5 size men's boot, and the rubber mount kept the grips planted very well, didn't need any adjustment over the four mile hike. One review which was running-specific commented that the rubber strap which goes over the toe compressed the shoe uncomfortably onto the toes. I can see this with a mesh running shoe, but with a normal hiking shoe with firmer toe this would not be a problem.

Micro-spikes seem to have the most traction of these strap-on traction options, but they clink more, and the rubber mount is not as secure, which allows the toe chains to flip to the side sometimes. Overall they are a great option for very steep hiking on unpacked snow and hard ice. Retail is $60.

Yaktrax have good all-around performance, but their durability is the issue. The coils can roll on rocks too giving an uneasy feeling. They are good for running as they are light, but have the least grip on glare ice. The weak point with yaktrax which allows them to be lighter is the rubber keeper goes under the foot too, and becomes abraded by rocks and dirt. Microspikes and Diamond Ultragrip solve this by using metal for the underside structure.

Overall I am happy with my choice as they Diamond grips have a very stable attachment, with less traction than microspikes but for the lower profile and cost that is ok. Unless I re-post assume they have not broken. -- Great traction for recreation use, good durability

Got these in time for the big blizzards of 2010. Definitely helped while shoveling snow and on the ice after re-freeze. They seem to work better than yak-traks. The diamond chain design seems to have more grip than the coil designs. These seem to be more durable as well since the area that takes the most damage (bottom of shoe) is made of all metal. The only complaint about these is that they seem to be rusting. I thought these were made of a metal alloy that prevents rust, but obviously they're not. The rust doesn't seem to affect durability, but they do mess up your floors with rust stains. I have emailed the manufacturers, but they have yet to reply. Will add update if/when they do. Also a word of advice ... try to wear these only when there's snow/ice, otherwise the cement sidewalks seem to wear down the sharp edges of the chain. -- Works great on ice/sleet, but starting to rust