GSC-L Shoe Chains (Large)

Excellent traction aids. I have used on hardpack and ice - holding up great. However, there are few things to beware of (but not really flaws in the product, mind you.) First, about sizing. I wear an 11.5 - 12 shoe. The XL says they fit shoe size 11-13. They do. I tried them on several hiking shoes, tennis shoes, and dress shoes - all NO PROBLEM. Boots, however are bigger. I didn't think about it when I bought them and maybe you haven't either... BUT, they were no problem to get on and off my large, heavy Vasque boots which are size 11.5. I have a pair of big insulated hunting boots, however, that I would not want to try to put these onto, especially with gloves on. Second, these things are like mini-crampons on the bottom (okay, not really for you hardcore guys. I have "real" crampons too ... but go with me here...). You should NOT walk on rocks or hard surfaces with crampons. DON'T do that with these. First, you might actually slip - I did a little, once, when I unknowingly stepped on a large, flat rock just under the snow on a steep slope. Second hard surfaces might screw up/bend/break a tip. The cleats themselves are pretty gnarly, so I'd be more worried about slipping than breaking a tip, but, for the third point, there is a longer link section that attaches the tough-looking metal cleat piece to the chain. That piece looks like it might be the proverbial "weak link" if they have one (mine came with a little baggie with extras ... making me think I'm right in that assertion). If you walk on hard surfaces, like cement, rocks, etc, that piece will likely take the brunt of the force and could break if twisted or torqued hard. The construction seems VERY adequate to handle walking on snow and ice and probably mud, if there are not rocks in it and you don't get that link twisted when putting them on. I don't want to abrade the links too much with all the grime, so I take them off when the ice/snow stops and my heavy lugged boots will suffice. Third, when you put them on, you need to be careful you don't get that connector link mentioned above twisted. That will put a LOT of torque on it, and I image would cause it to snap. If you are careful to make sure they are on straight, it should be plenty durable... provided you don't stomp around on rocks or concrete like I mentioned earlier. My last trip out with them, I took them on and off a dozen times as trail conditions changed over the day, hanging them on a 'biner I clipped to a loop on my pack's hip belt for easy access. They are not hard to take on and off (again, over size 11.5 serious backpacking boots and with a pack on) - you just have to take a second to look and make sure each is not twisted when putting it on, and take a second when you are done to make sure there are no kinks. Fourth, they smell stinky. Yeah? HECK YEAH!!! AND, I'm gonna add to that - the rubber is UGLY too! wa-HOO!! These things fill the void between my full-on Petzl crampons and my coil traction aids, and they do it AWESOMELY (is that a word??). My spouse thinks I'm part mountain goat in good weather, and guys let me get places I could not otherwise go in winter now too, up and down icy terrain and trails - no problem. My experience is, the seriously hardcore places to get to ... no one cares if your microspikes smell ... likely YOU smell too. HA! All you folks who want pretty smelling outdoor gear that makes you look fashionably bee-oootiful, go buy some overpriced mass-market N___face crap, brush with your ultra-whitening toothpaste ... better yet, just look at nature from the tinted windows of your luxury SUV, keeping your yoga-toned tushi in those lovely heated seats. Or watch discovery channel. These things are serious traction for ice and snow. If you just want traction for walking across the parkinglot or on slick sidewalks, these may be overkill (and might get you hurt - see point 1 about slipping on hard surfaces). If that's you, I'd suggest you'd be better with **COIL** traction aids, or maybe nano spikes. I would even probably go with my coils for shovelling my drive, again, because theses guys are very aggressive and once I shovel, I would worry they'd chew up asphalt, or I would eventually slip (again, crampons not for walking on hard non-ice surfaces!!) or tear them up. If you want serious traction and value hardcore function over being easy on the eyes or nose, based on my experience, I would strongly recommend these. I love mine!! Yeah, I know the rubber on the K---- brand is better looking, and the chains on those are shinier. But for the price of one pair of those, I could buy 3 pair of these and have some money left over. So far, these appear to be on track to hold up a really long time.

Purchased these to wear over insulated boots when walking on our snow and ice-packed streets. They are made well and do not accidentally slip off while in use. They provide good traction and confidence against slipping and falling. I have only one major issue with them: when walking on hard ice (and occassionally bare pavement between ice patches) the front four cleats under each foot can be felt up through the boot (much like stepping on small rocks) making extended use uncomfortable. The front cleat plates are probably too small (two of them are dime-sized areas, and two nickle-sized) and each plate is free to move up and down independently, causing the sensation of stepping on small rocks. If the front four cleats were all part of a single plate, I would give these a 5-star rating.

i can not express how excellent these are. i just came back from a trip to Tahoe with my wife. i got us both these chains. here is the lowdown, but just watch my video clip and you will be sold. i zoom and slow the clip at an ice covered stair with high degree angle. i am wearing Tingley rubber overshoes (crazy slippery boots) and the chains over those in the clip. we spent at least 5 hours in these this week with no slips. people were asking where they could get them while slipping and sliding and sitting on their butts to go down the places we walked on. no need for hiking poles either. my wife is terrified of falling and she charged all over with these once she realized how well they gripped. my wife wore them over boots and i put them on over Tingley work boot overshoes (also on amazon) which i wore over walking shoes. pros -they fit. my wife wears a 5 shoe/boot and the small fits. i wear a 13 and the XL fit. if you have a big or thick boot it may be tight but that makes it more stable. -they work. they worked on ice, snow, slush, gravel and even concrete (but i don't recommend doing that for long. the blades are meant to go into something softer than concrete). we went up an icy staircase of at least 30 degrees. -fair price -they come with spare chain parts -they are easy to care for (rinse or just leave them be) cons -none Note - a chain did come unlinked, but did not break. all i had to do was reconnect it. i must have bought 100 items form Amazon this year; this was the best purchase. BTW, the TPR loop is meant to be very snug. if they were easy to slip on they would slip off too easily.

For the most part they function well and will provide traction on ice and snow, however they have a proclivity to slip off and you will lose them if you don't look at your feet every few steps. As a quick fix to losing them I secured the front to my boot laces using a small caribiner. This does not help with them slipping off but definitely prevented me from losing them. They also have a tendency to shift towards the outer edge of the boot instead of remaining firmly planted to the boots sole. All in all if you are going be doing long and frequent winter hikes then I'd recommend crampons with a toe guard but for a more casual trip they will suffice.

Bought these for my boyfriend, who walks to work in the mountains. He loves them! They fit well over his boots and are actually made of sturdy chain links and curved, metal spikes for gripping ice. He liked them so much, he thought I should have some too! I feel much safer walking on icy sidewalks with these on, and you can hear them crunching into the ice when you walk. Wearing them in snow is a little tricky, though. The snow tends to pile up on the chains and clump. You have to hit your foot against something to shake the snow loose.

Ok I am not prone to writing a review very often. I believe the product should sell itself. However in a few instances we consumers have a duty to other prospective purchasers to review items we feel warrent our indepth opinion. I bought these recently with the intention of possibly going hiking up to Mt. Leconte in the Smoky Mtns. Well with the icey roads closed leading to the trail head i wanted to take, my hiking partner and i were relegated to an alternate hike. Well after arriving at the ranger station and finding the road closed to car traffic we set out on the snowy ice covered road. Me in my glaciers and her in yaxtrax. Let me just say i have never felt so sure footed on the ice and slippery surfaces as i did while wearing these spike. after 15-20 mins you forget you have them on (except for the crunching metal sound) i climbed icy rocks and never gave slipping a second thought. These spikes are the bomb.!!!!!! I looked into the more expensive brands but these had a 4.5 out of 5 rating so I thought why not. I am so glad I got these. I did 10.3 miles in them in one day and 2 miles the day before and they are still going strong. If i only get one season out of them they have been worth it for the price i paid. You dont always have to pay top dollar to get something that will work just as good. These are well worth the small investment.

I splurged on a pair of Kahtoola Microspikes, which I'm very happy with, but since the Glacier Chains seemed to be a clone and were a quarter of the price, I bought them too, for comparison and to have a spare pair. The Glacier Chains reek. They smell like an old time garage/tire shop. They were not too bad after they aired out for a while (days) but if you're really sensitive about smells they still might bother you, like you may get a faint bit of the smell on your hands when you put them on. They work quite well. The biggest difference between these and the Kahtoolas is the rubber part. The Glacier Chains don't come up as high on my boots/shoes whereas the Kahtoolas have almost a wraparound grip. The rubber in the Kahtoolas is softer and grippier, reminds me a little of those weird sticky stretchy rubber creatures kids play with (no idea what they're called, little creatures you can stretch out without breaking and they go right back to their normal shape). I think there is a lot more chance one of the Glaciers could pop off while walking. Cannot speak to longterm quality at this point. I think these are a much better choice than the coiled kind that are more easily found in stores. I wear ladies size 7.5 and the medium is a good fit. I just noticed they included a few extra metal connectors in the bag (not the chains or spikes).

My pair of XL Glacier Chains just came in and I had to stretch to almost breaking to get them on my size 12 boots. They are suppose to work on 11 to 13 mens shoes. Can't use these or the rubber will break prematurely. Also it seems like the rubber doesn't have a lot of elasticity as other types of cleats I've had on. Might be the quality of the rubber material used is poor. Also noted that the chains are connected to the rubber strap by a metal link through a hole in the rubber. No metal strain relief like I've seen on other cleats. Looks like they will eventually tear out, especially with the issues mentioned above. With those comments side, the basic chain design with pointed metal plates looks like they would work well on ice. We get lots of freeze thaw cycles so I'm quite familiar with what works and what doesn't. Those points will probably do the trick. And the price is good. Just wish the quality was a little better and there were no size issues. If you buy these, plan on ordering at least one size larger than you think you will need. They don't have XXL for my size 12's so it looks like I'm out of luck.