Yaktrax Run Winter Traction Cleats for Snow and Ice

I'm doing my review on ordering and delivery since it has not snowed enough yet in Ohio to give them a real trial. Ordering was very easy, and was very pleased with how quickly they arrived! I probably should have ordered the next size larger though. I wear a size 9 shoe, but I did not take into account the width of the sole of the shoes, so they seem a bit snug when I tried them on. Have adjusted the straps, and will give them a try before deciding.

I bought these last year and found that the front straps compress the toe of the shoe and cause serious blisters. This design does not work on a soft toe running shoe. Today I felt blisters starting after 2 miles. Removed the Yaktrax and the pain stopped.

These snapped in half my first time wearing them about 4 miles into a run.

I had a pair that broke after about 8 runs. These do not hold up if you are running on technical terrain or if you are running with lots of speed down hills.

Can easily do interval sprints in icy winter conditions!

I am using them for walking my energetic dog on icy sidewalks. They did are perfect! Better than the Yaktrax Walkers for that purpose. I have more control and stability. I really like the extra set of grippers in the front.

These are fantastic!! I was able to run without fear of slipping and falling on the snow and ice. They really don't feel weird to run on, which is surprising! I'm hoping they don't wear down when I hit spots on my run that aren't snow covered, but so far they are great! Keeps me outside and off the treadmill!

These have been the best purchase I made since moving to Alaska. Shoveling a driveway is hard enough, even with good boots, and that's to say nothing of running. Yak Trax made it comfortable to run over snow and ice with my regular sneakers. There was never a moment when I felt the weather slowed me down. Only walking on tile became tougher with Yak Trax. Besides that I have nothing but positive things to say. Running through an Alaskan storm became fun because I didn't have to worry about slipping on black ice or in the snow.

Cleats don't hold up well. Replacements hard to find, expensive.

Really pleased with the Run trax - got them right in time (for a week of icy trails here in Massachusetts). Good fit, I like the spikes on the front half, does exactly what it says on the tin.

I have had these for a couple years and have not needed them. Finally used them due to cold weather. I wear a size 11.5 running shoe and the large fit fine. Ran with 3 other people that had various models of them and they all stayed on. I over thought what do I do if I hit some pavement. They did fine for the 20 feet of pavement. They took a couple times to get them on just right. Did 10 miles in them. The people I ran with all have had them for 5 plus years and they still work.

I moved from New York to the Upper Penninsula of Michigan (average 300' feet of snow each winter). I wanted to be able to run outside all year long as I did in the Hudson Valley so I started using YakTrax. They have made it through three winters (and hundreds of miles) and still going strong - granted I only run on packed snow and avoid pavement as I don't want to slip and I also want to keep the spikes in good shape. Yes, they add weight to shoes but running in snow requires some modification of your expectations - you're not going to run as fast or as easily. But if you want to get out and run all winter and you have the right conditions, these will help make it happen!

While you won't be able to run at the same pace as you would normally, these gave me a lot more confidence when the roads were iffy (packed snow, slush and ice) but I still wanted some fresh air. I'd say that they do a very good job with grip on most surfaces except for glare ice (particularly if it's melting which seems to make it more slippery). I kind of cringe when running on clear patches of road, knowing it's not good for the spikes or springs, but they haven't fallen apart quite yet. However, I don't think they'll make it past one winter. The only issue I've had is that the toe straps came loose (which was probably my fault) resulting in them getting shredded and useless, though the YakTrax do still stay on without them. All in all a good investment if you just have to get outside.

This product is a game changer if you live in a place like me - Minnesota. They allow me to safely run outside all year long, and I’m grateful for that. One development challenge to the YakTrax team: Find a way to make the wire coils in the heel portion sturdier. I run 6.2 miles/day on mixed surfaces. And because of that, these almost become disposable gear. They’re too expensive for that, so if the wire gauge were a little thicker, they might last longer? It’s a terrific product, and I recommend it highly.

After using them for about 10 wintry runs ... the front spikes are wearing down and one has completely come off. The back cables are nice and provide good traction. The biggest problem is that rarely do I ever run completely on one surface - road to icy road to packed snow to deeper snow - all in one run. These are great for the icy road and packed snow and troublesome for the other surfaces. Taking them on and off is not an option since that takes quite a bit of time and are bulky (don't exactly fit in the pockets). So, it seems like the design needs to be modified, simplified, and the weight of them needs to be reduced somehow. Yet, on a positive side, they definitely give you a little more confidence and control running on those icy patches!

Got these for Christmas and have logged maybe 25 miles total in them. When wearing the toe slides back and you end up running on part of the fabric straps. Needless to say the left one has worn all the way through and the right is thread bare. Disappointing

I was really excited to receive these spikes/chains something that was build specifically for trail running and could make flex into hiking on bigger climbs. The design they have hear makes total sense lots of bite in the forefoot and someone that gives you grip in snow. They main problem these face is the spikes are not nearly large or long enough to give you the bite and confidence they need for ice and hard packed snow. I'll give a rating based on terrain Great, Good or Poor: Icy sections - Uphill: Poor Flats: Good Downhill: Poor Hard Packed Snow - Uphill: Poor Flats: Good Downhill: Good Snow - Less than 6" Uphill: Good Flats: Great Downhill: Great Other - Dirt, mud Uphill: Good Flats: Good Downhill: Good While I would revisit a redesign of these in the future, I cannot recommend them for the type of conditions you would commonly used them. The biggest misstep is the spikes in the forefoot are not large or long enough to be effective and they are shorter then the coils in mid to heel portion. I think a short term fix is providing replacement plates with bigger more effective spikes for the forefoot. The 2.0 should have more aggressive spikes that make the overall height of device should be even.

I wear a men's size 10 shoe so, referencing the size chart, I ordered medium. The Yak Trax is way too short for my shoe size both in length and width. I was able to stretch the stap so it barely attaches but the front toe's label is on the bottom of the shoe.

I got my husband a pair of Run for Christmas. They are effective in providing grip and traction on snowy, icy sidewalks, but they aren't very durable. The coils started showing wear after a couple of weeks and one of the studs on the right toe has now broken off. He's only had them a month! I have a similar shoe-traction slip-on of another brand that has lasted years without any such wear and tear. We're disappointed that the YakTrax haven't proven comparably durable.

I love my YakTrax! I get so skittish with ice because I’ve had some bad falls but these things give me guts and stabilize my joints so I can run further.