Hillsound Trail Crampon I Ice Cleat Traction System for Beginner & Experienced Winter Trail Hiking

I seldom take the time to write reviews- even for items that I like very much. I have to make an exception for these AMAZING trail crampons. I walk my dog daily off-leash on trails through local nature preserves. The last few weeks the trails have iced up terrible to the point where I was forced to bushwack off trail because it was impossible to walk it in regular hiking boots.... I even had to humiliate myself by sliding down inclines on my butt! I've seen others walking the trails with slip on traction devices like YakTrak and Kahtoolie so I decided it was time for me to join the club. I went to a local outdoor outfitter store and they had both brands but so late in the season nothing in my size. That's when I turned, reluctantly, to Amazon and started reading reviews. Despite my worries about not being able to try a pair on for fit before purchasing, I chose the Hillsound Trail Crampon on the strength of the reviews and because they appeared a bit more "aggressive" than the others. I ordered Size Medium as it was recommended for my shoe size on the fitting chart. As soon as they arrived I tried the on over my size 9 1/2 OBOZ hiking boots. They were easy to put on, fit snuggly and the spike plates were centered perfectly under the ball and heel of my foot with no fiddling or adjustment. That afternoon the pooch and I went for our walk on the same trails that were literally impossible for me to walk just the day before... and I actually started giggling because I was so amazed at the difference. Effortless walking on crazy slick ice... in fact easier to traverse than the muddy spots between iced trail. They are light, comfortable and though we were only out for a little more than an hour I could have easily walked in them all day... I hardly felt them on my feet. I went out with the dog again for a longer walk this morning and I am even more convinced. They didn't shift on my shoes walking up or down rocky inclines and were flexible enough that they moved as one with my hiking boots. I felt secure and confident in every situation- wet ice, hard ice, ascents and descents... wether icy or not. They felt completely transparent on my feet and I had no problem maintaining a natural stride... in fact I think I walk a bit faster with them on. I haven't used other makers products, but have crossed paths with YakTrak users who commented on how I have a serious set of spikes- if they only knew how easy they are to take on and off, how comfortable they are and how well they work. KUDOS!

I had bought this to work in my yard during winter. we have a major slope on our driveway and the garage. It was a major hassle to clean the driveway as it was quite slippery and there was no way anyone would be able to walk up on the slope on the ice if without this device. I tried them and surprise...i was walking on ice with no slippage and was satisfied with it. I was able to clear the snow around my driveway in no time with all the confidence that I am not going to fall and break my back over the slippery road. The product itself looks extremely strong with strong metal spikes. I was quite comfortable walking on the tar road, however it was quite slippery if you were to walk inside on tiles or some other internal surface. these are meant for outdoors so out there they are the king. I am pleased with Amazon service as well, as initially I had ordered Large size thinking it to be enough for my size 12 - 14 shoe and it turned out to be small. Amazon took the initiative to collect it back via UPS and return the money with no questions asked. I ordered again for X-Large and they fit quite nice on my shoes and I love them. I have not used them on trails or anywhere else but i don't think that be an issue as once you wear them and start to walk on the road or gravel or dirt i can hardly notice it and it has well structured metal plates to balance the load evenly and those spikes don't hit you back on your feet. I would surely recommend this product during winter time.

These are excellent Great quality Works for all winter hikes on hard pack and icy conditions highly recommend

I use these anytime there are snowy or icy conditions on the trail. They slip on over boots easily, but the cleats can get tangled and while it doesn't make them unusable, it does throw off the fit. The metal joints could be a little stronger/less flexible to avoid this. I do wish they strapped on tighter, as I don't feel like they are always tight against the souls of my feet. The spikes have rusted a bit from the snow/mud, but they haven't bent even on rocky surfaces between snow banks. Overall a good starter pair, but will likely upgrade.

I recently replaced 2 pairs of cheap (but popular) knockoffs when they both broke after just a couple of hikes. As a hardcore hiker, I can say these are a SIGNIFICANT upgrade. The long spikes provide more aggressive traction than what you’d get even from Kahtoolas, rendering them surprisingly effective in deeper snow where previously, I may have considered snowshoes. They obviously won’t replace those in soft, very deep powder; however, I’m a minimalist who can’t/won’t carry both spikes and snowshoes, and these give me added peace of mind in borderline situations. One reason I got these was for the toe spikes. Just today I was climbing a very steep slope that required me to crawl on all fours due to extreme postholing (better weight distribution across the snow). I had done that many times before with my old sets of spikes, and I can assure you these Hillsounds made it effortless. No need to kickstep repeatedly—just plant the toe spikes into the ice and keep on climbing. It’s like having hybrid microspikes/crampons, and I love it. I initially wished for similar spikes in the heel for downclimbing. But thanks to the aggressive traction, I haven’t found their absence to be an issue. With my old spikes, I would often find myself sliding around on downhill sections, but not so with these Hillsounds. Added bonus: I like that the chainlinks welded very taut, unlike other brands. The result is you don’t feel like you’re spreading the spikes under your foot, then stepping on them. These spikes really feel attached to your foot. You don’t constantly hear them chiming as you walk along the trail, and they don’t rattle when you encounter dirt sections. Speaking of, they handled dirt sections quite well also. My biggest concern with such aggressive spikes was that they would make the transition from snowy to rocky terrain uncomfortable. It’s a very annoying problem in the spring and fall, especially if you hike across large elevation differentials that straddle the snowline. So far however, that hasn’t been a problem, and I haven’t noticed any significant difference compared to shorter spikes. Now, all that remains is how long they will last. I am worried about the stainless-steel chainlinks, as those are known to break after a single winter season or even faster. But the carbon fiber is supposed to be much more durable, so hopefully that’s one less point of failure.

I have tried many options to improve traction with walking/hiking in snow (and icy conditions). I decided to try these after watching a video. These have excellent gripping for icy/snow, esp even terrain; the design is simple but effective and putting on (and removing) my boots is easy. I felt very confident hiking in winter conditions using these crampons.

Hillsound is one of the best. Durable and dependable

We used these for winter hiking and some easy climbing on a mountain in New England winter conditions (snow and ice and ice covered snow). They worked great! Easy on, easy off, very durable, and they do exactly what you want them to. They make hiking in packed snow and on icy surfaces a breeze. No more slipping, falling, getting pulled around by your dog on ice, etc. You also use a lot less energy getting around with them on because your feet aren't slipping like they are in the sand which is what happens if you don't use them. I felt completely sure-footed and confident when wearing them, from the gravel parking lot to the mountaintop and back. We crossed icy water runoffs with ease and were able to scurry up icy exposed rocks as well without any issue. The spike length is perfect for this type of activity (several inches of snow and moderate ice). If you're just looking to shovel your driveway, you're better off with nano/microspikes for that as they won't ruin the surface you're walking on, and they won't be overkill. Size wise, I followed the Hillsound sizing guide for hiking boots and they fit perfectly. We love them and will definitely continue to use them when needed.