Nanospikes

I've got a little under twenty miles on nanospikes now, in a variety of conditions, and so far pretty nifty. I haven't had any problems with them sliding around on my feet (the sizing is probably more for running shoes than for boots) and when running on ice they have just about zero impact on my form. Better than screw shoes, far better than Yak Trax. On bare pavement, they aren't great but they don't really get in the way; again, far better than the alternatives. In snow that's a little soft they do slide a bit and microspikes would be better if there's the depth. I'm also a little worried about longevity: it doesn't look like the studs would be replaceable. On the plus side, that's only a wear concern, as it doesn't look like they'd tear out.

I think these are definitely the answer for icy running and I suspect they'll be my go-to for shoulder season hiking when the rime can be bad but not thick enough to support microspikes.

I have Stableicers and they seem to be okay so far.

Gremlin said:

I have Stableicers and they seem to be okay so far.

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I use stabilicers MAXX. I was wondering if anyone was still using these.

That product looks like it would be nice on above treeline days where there is a thin glaze of ice on all the rocks and everything is super slick. Have you ever used Yak Traks or Stabilicers under these conditions as a comparison? Curious. I got "stuck" on Jefferson once in November on a day like that where every foot placement on the rocks felt like it could slide out at any moment and have wondered since of there was a product that addressed those conditions.

Have you used the Nanospikes off pavement to see if dirt and debris get caught on them and affect grip without cleaning?

I destroyed a pair of microspikes on Wright/Algonquin/Iroquois this past Columbus Day. There was a thin veneer of ice (less than 1/16") on almost everything, but it was better to be safe than sorry. I saw these a few weeks after that trip, and they would have been perfect.

Thanks for the review.

My wife got a set for Christmas and was excited about them. Alas the unisex sizing even in a small was too big for her size 7.5 sneakers. No extra small model so back to EMS they went.

Up to 55 miles, and in a few more conditions. The studs are showing definite wear: some are angled, some a little rounded, but still gripping fine. I'm suspecting these will give 300-500 miles of use in the conditions I'm out in (which includes a fair bit of bare pavement), so about a pair of shoes.

The left one, and only the left one, has shown a tendency for the front plate to slide off to the left (outside). This only happens with the Virratas, not the Pure Flow. The first time this happened I was running in several feet of semi-packed snow and it definitely got in between the shoe and spike plate. Today it happened on mostly clear pavement; I yanked the back over to the left to torque the whole thing around and pull the front piece right, and it was good for the rest of the day. The left is where I wear the foot pod, so it might be interfering strangely with the harness.

Answering questions:

I've used YakTrax Pro in a variety of conditions and they were my option for rime days. They're miserable to run on with ice or bare pavement (good in very hard pack snow) since there's this rolling/bouncing feeling. I can't think of any conditions where I'd rather do the YakTrax than the Nanospikes. I did come close to buying the YakTrax Run before the Nanospikes hit the market.

I've used them off pavement, but on enough snow that there wasn't any dirt. There's not really any place for anything to catch/collect on them.

They do say that Small only goes down to a Women's 8, so the sizing's honest although the range could be bigger.

DayTrip said:

Have you ever used Yak Traks or Stabilicers under these conditions as a comparison?

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In the days before Microspikes, I bought Yak Traks for everyone in my family. I quickly learned they don't even provide enough traction for icy sidewalks, let alone hiking. I now love my Microspikes and will happily send the Yak Traks to anyone who will pay the shipping.

Hey, NOTHING is better than screw shoes!

For most winter running on moderately icy trails I have been using Ice Bugs for about 3 years, a winter running shoe with carbide tips molded into the cleats. They are a little pricey, but last many seasons if you use them only on snow and ice. For more serious ice, a thick-soled running shoe with Grip Studs would give much better penetration and traction on rough surfaces.

What I don't like about the Nanospikes, other than the rather low number of points ( 10 per foot) and potential for squirming/slippage , are the large smooth panels which offer no traction whatsoever, which cover much of your foot .

But if you aren't an avid winter runner, they are probably fine.