Tested: Kahtoola ExoSpikes

 I've used screw shoes for mixed icy conditions - where I'll be running on roads for stretches that make full-on crampon-style spikes a poor option - for several years now. The problem is, they're not terribly effective below about -10c/14f. I have a light pair of spikes, but they were responsible for frostbite in my left big toe that still bothers me even 6 years later, so I needed a new solution..

Enter the Kahtoola ExoSpikes

What it is: Devices that slip over your footwear to provide extra traction on ice and snow

The business side, pictured off the shoe

Why you'd want them: To stay safe and upright when running roads, light trails, or road-to-trail in winter

They have a little license plate on the toe section of the upper

Now that's confidence inspiring!

Duration used: About a month and a half - I've put about 80km/50mi on them so far

Full view of the upper, pictured with the front/toe portion at top - exactly as they'd go on your shoe

Price paid/purchased from: I couldn't find a better price than $75 CAD + tax, and bought from Sail

They come with a little stuff sack with a spot to make them your own

Ready to go for a spin!

What rawks: While I wouldn't choose these for technical trails, they are absolutely perfect for my Saturday runs down to the farmers' market, which involve a couple of kilometers of road, a couple of kilometers of paved multi-use trail, and a long stretch of groomed trail with a bit more sidewalk at the end. The traction afforded by the carbide spikes themselves is far superior to that offered by screw shoes, particularly when the weather turns extremely cold.

Ice is far too hard at -24c / -11f for screw shoes to be effective

The rubbery harness is very secure on my foot - no danger of losing these in a snowdrift! - but does not apply any pressure to my toes or foot that would collapse the pocket of insulating air created by my sock inside my shoe.

It was my old spikes' frame putting pressure on the toe of my shoe - removing the insulating air space - that caused the frostbite on my left big toe in 2016.

The rubbery upper is joined to the very tough TPU spike framework with steel rings, that thread through a plastic washer embedded in the rubbery upper to prevent them pulling through. I've seen absolutely no rust on the rings - nor any signs of wear on them - with 80-ish kilometers on them and numerous occasions running on salted sidewalks that left a salt residue all over them.

These seem like they're going to last quite awhile!

I also like that the design of the 12 individual spike pods - 8 beneath the ball of your foot, and 4 beneath your heel - have a sort of stepped pyramid design that allows them to act like trail shoe lugs if you encounter deeper, un-packed snow.

I haven't encountered any mud in them yet, but I'm sure they'd offer decent traction if I did!

They're quite lightweight, and quite comfortable to run on even on bare pavement - this is probably dependent on your particular foot and shoes, but I don't get any uncomfortable pressure spots from the spike units through my soles.

And I've mostly worn them with road shoes, so there's no rock plate distributing pressure in there

I balked at the price, but honestly these have performed exactly as I desired, and with a quick rinse to get off any remaining salt they'd look brand new!

Me? Much less so.

With spring at hand now, you might find them on sale. There's still some ice out there for the moment if you want to try them out right away!

But I'd be happier if you had to wait 'til next winter for ice..

Updated 25-Mar-2022: I have now had a chance to try them out on a mixture of snow, ice, and mud, and they performed fantastic! Using trail shoes with them in muddy conditions basically allows you to double the size of the lugs that bite into the ground, giving a lot of confidence even in quite loose, slippery mud.

I'd almost consider wearing them for extra traction if I expect things to be particularly messy

They also provide excellent traction on bare rock (something that crampon-style spikes struggle with), as the carbide tips are essentially the same as those used on trekking poles. I wouldn't necessarily recommend them for really rocky trails as you're reducing your contact area to a dozen small points instead of more and larger lugs of a trail shoe, but if you're already wearing them and there's some rock sticking out of the mud or ice, you don't have to worry about them slipping!

What sucks: They can be a little difficult to stretch over my shoe, despite being toward the low end of Medium per the size chart - my feet are a size 9-9.5 women's (41 euro), and there's no way I think I'd be able to get them on a shoe any bigger than mine!

Direct from Kahtoola's product page

I also find them a bit finicky to get in the proper place on my shoe: when I first pull them on, they want to sit toward the inside of my foot, which means that my feet want to sort of flop outward as they land. This may be related to them feeling a bit small on my shoes, or to the fact the TPU framework that holds the spikes isn't very flexible - much less so than any other spike frame material I've encountered.

Any snugger and I'm going to need a tire iron to get 'em on!

The stuff sack they come with is also just light cordura fabric, seemingly without any anti-abrasion characteristics to protect it from the spikes. Since the frames only want to comfortably bend into a taco shape with the rubbery framework to the inside, this means the carbide tips may wear out the stuff sack, particularly if you were to put these in a running pack and have them jostle around. 

That said, I haven't noticed any shredding of mine so far

I did manage to get a nasty chunk of bent steel - I have no idea what it was originally - stuck under the rear of the TPU framework on the sole of my foot at one point, while literally just running down a multi-use pathway. I thought it was just a chunk of ice or snow, so ended up running with it for a mile until I finally stopped to see what the heck was going on!

It was ON THERE

Sizeable chunk, with really nasty sharp corners to it

I don't really see that being the fault of the spikes, though - I'd probably have had the same experience with any other set of spikes with a framework, like Yak Trax (which are awful - please don't bother with them!) or my old cheapo spikes.

They will pack in with snow if the conditions are right, though. I was running down to the market one sunny morning at about -7c/19f, with sun on the snow and noticed my traction getting poorer..

..while my feet got heavier.

I'm not sure I can blame that on these specifically, though - it looks like some of the snow was sticking directly to the soles of my shoes, so it might have happened even if I weren't wearing them.

The only other thing - which is also a problem with any other spikes if you have bad luck with conditions - is that snow on top of ice can render the carbide tips pretty useless. If the snow is just deep enough to keep the tips from biting into the ice when it packs underfoot, you'll still risk slipping as the snow can break away from the ice surface. However, you do still have the pyramid-stepped lugs to offer a bit of traction on the snow's surface, and I've never found anything (other than crampon-style spikes that can penetrate deeper) that isn't hamstrung by the snow-over-ice issue.

3/4" of packed snow on top of ice makes for a tough run, even with those lugs

What I'd like to see: A more accurate size chart, and maybe a more durable stuff sack. That's about it, apart from them being pretty expensive.

They seem to be pretty durable, though!

What I'm saying: If you frequently find yourself running on icy or snowy non-technical routes, these are a great solution that gives you almost all the traction of crampon-style spikes with less weight and less inconvenience and sketchiness on bare pavement.

Perfect for glittery snow!

For further edification: This Trailrunner Magazine article was - along with an endorsement from a friend - what convinced me to buy a pair. They've also been reviewed by iRunFar.

Making tracks

Oh yeah, and just for giggles: I've finally created a page with links to all my past gear reviews, plus a few other posts with what I consider interesting or valuable information. A link to it now appears over in the side bar at right on the desktop site under the search box, so feel free to browse through some history at your leisure!

..or just run away.