Yaktrax Walk Traction Cleats

Brand: Yaktrax Pro

The Walk is the oldest design in the Yaktrax range and still the cheapest way to make ordinary shoes usable in February. Instead of spikes it wraps 1.2 mm steel coils under the sole, zinc coated against rust, held by a stretchy polyelastomer band with a heel tab. The coils bite in every direction, which is what a sidewalk actually asks for when you turn, stop short or step off a curb. Sizes run small through extra large and a pair disappears into a coat pocket.

Best for short trips: the bus stop, the dog, the walk to the mailbox, an hour of shovelling. On glazed ice the coils hold far better than bare rubber, though steel spikes bite deeper. Dry asphalt flattens the coils quicker than most buyers expect, so pull them off once the block is clear. On bulky snow boots the band tends to creep sideways.