Anyone ever use Yak Trax?

[ski diva]

I'm looking for something to put over my shoes so I don't slip on the ice and kill myself. I've already fallen twice this winter just walking around my car -- once was this evening -- and I'm afraid that one of these days I'll do myself some serious damage. Has anyone used Yak Trax or Get-a-Grips? How'd they work for you?

 

[Robyn]

Haven't used them personally but I know lots of people who swear by them, including my aunt and uncle. I want a pair one of these days.

 

[mollmeister]

I tried to use them for winter walking in the park near our house in Canada. I have really narrow feet, and I just couldn't find the right size for me that would stay on my shoes. I gather they have gotten a bit better in design though, since then.

These are the ones some friends of mine swear by, for winter walking on packed snowshoe trails and ski trails:
https://www.utemountaineer.com/detail.aspx?ID=765

 

[abc]

Mmmm... what kind of shoes are you talking about?

 

[ski diva]

Just regular, flat walking shoes.

 

[Telluride Ski Babe]

I have a pair of Yak Trax, and wouldn't be without them around here. Last year I broke my wrist slipping on ice while trying to help someone who crashed their SUV. Ugh...

That, and one side of Main St. is perpetually in shadow, so there's LOTS of ice. (One of our big political battles here is whether to remove the sidewalk and replace it with a heated sidewalk.)

I recommend them if you encounter a lot of ice...they do help a lot.

 

[Jilly]

I got my Dad a pair to use in the winter. I don't think he's ever used them. I find that my new Rossi boots slip easily on hard pack snow when walking to the lift. I have cat traks, but I've been thinking that the Yak trax or similar would be better. And not take up a much room in my pockets.

 

[Lisamarie]

Got a pair for my husband. They were fine, until he put them on his ski boot and broke one of them.

I accidentally lost one. Not sure how it happened. There are some cheaper ones that have these nail like things that break up the snow. They work pretty well, but take them off before you walk on a carpet!

 

[SueNJ]

Got a pair for my SO 2 years ago, for shoveling snow outside our house. Our house is on a corner, and our driveway runs alongside our house, down to the back where there's a paved mini-parking-lot. The pavement is all on a double-fall line going downhill away from the house and onto the road, making it treacherous for shoveling/snowblowing. The Yak Trax give him the traction he needs to do the job safely.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

They're good, get 'em - and I'd go for the super-duty ones (not the light duty). Figures that we're able to ski as we do and then half-kill ourselves on pedestrian ice...happened to my son a couple of years ago - an expert rider, he'd gotten done for the day, was walking near a building in street shoes, slipped, fell, knocked himself out cold and wound up in an ER... .....oh, I just love those kinds of phone calls: "Mrs. ----? This is the Emergency Room at XX Hospital calling about your son...." Cardiac arrest time...
Get the Yak Traks, Ski Diva. They work.

 

[Bravosarah]

We're required to wear STABILicers when walkways aren't cleared here at work. I really like them, they work really well and I don't need to take them off to drive.

I'm not sure ablout Yak Trax, but STABILicers seem more sturdy IMHO.

Edit - I just realized that's the link that Mollmeister has. ^^^^

 

[sibhusky]

I just bought a pair of YakTrax and am disappointed with them. I have some other similar items at home and hoped that the big failure with them, the inability to walk on anything BUT ice, would be remedied because of the different design. But, first of all, they are tough to put on, and second of all, you'll kill yourself walking in the grocery store or anywhere else with hard floors! So, not sure how I'll sensibly fit them in to my life. Because I can't zip them on an off as I exit and enter buildings. Have to plan to only go places with carpets or something.

I also have the stabilicers or something similar and I also don't like them on hard surfaces. But they are easier to put on than the YakTrax.

 

[lucine]

Yak trax are on sale today at Sierra Trading post under 12 bucks a pair.

 

[ski diva]

Of COURSE they are! I just ordered them two days ago from someone else!!!!!!

 

[Bing]

Hi There -

Yes, I have used Yak Trax for about 5 years now - I use them to run in the snow and ice and they even work on black ice, which I find amazing !!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

on sale at STP (still available!)

https://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/97358_Yaktrax-Walker-Pull-On-Ice-Traction-For-Men-and-Women.html

 

[Telluride Ski Babe]

Yes, Yak Trax are not the most stable on things like hardwood floors, but to have stability on ice is SO worth it. Since my surgery last week, I can't imagine NOT being on Yak Trax...I'd probably have fallen a couple of times if not for them.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

How are you feeling, TSB?

 

[alaski]

I've heard that YakTrax break really easily, so I've never bought them. I have ones with little nails on the bottom that work great on ice but come off easily in snow. I also have the StabilIcers which are AWESOME as long as they fit the boots I'm wearing. They tend to be on the big side for most of my footwear which makes them slide around a bit. They're also a bit heavy.

 

[liquidfeet]

I use my yak trax on my boots just to get to the car often. My garage is not attached, so the walk can be considerable. The driveway sometimes is solid sheet ice, as it is today!!! YakTrax work great getting back-&-forth to&from the car from the house over boilerplate ice.

My husband won't use them, too much trouble, and he doesn't fall; what's with him??? I'm the athletic one!.... But I do use them getting to the car and they make me feel confident.

However, I used them walking on the trails in the woods that I ride with my mountain bike in the summer and the snow yanked them off unbeknownst to me --- so I had to back-track for-EVER to find the lost YakTrax. The mfr makes a more expensive version with an over-the-boot-strap, which would take care of this problem.

However, to avoid spending another $40-something bucks on the upgraded version of YakTrax, I'll just attach a velcro strap to keep them in place on my boots when trekking in the snow next time.

Hope you like them.