Our reviews are 100% organic. We do not accept payment for reviews or bundle with advertising budgets. In most cases, the brand is providing the product to our reviewers free of charge. Even the grippiest outsoles on the market can be defeated when winter hits hard. For most of the US, icy conditions affect roads and trails from winter into early spring, leaving runners and hikers looking for extra traction on their feet.
Kahtoola has been making traction devices for over 20 years, and started out designing crampons for use in alpine conditions. Over the years, they have added models for everyday use during a variety of activities. MICROspikes are Kahtoola’s more aggressive model with 3/8-inch stainless steel spikes and chains. The EXOspikes are handy for snow-packed trails and some lighter pavement use. They have redesigned the NANOspikes, and we recently tested them out in some nasty weather in the Wasatch mountains as well as during some pavement running in Salt Lake City.
The NANOspikes model is designed for pavement, which made them perfect for running out the door. The bulk of the traction is from 10 tungsten carbide spikes, and the concave design provides faster and more stable grip on ice and snow. The tungsten is incredibly durable and resists wear and tear even when running on pure pavement. New to the NANOspikes design are directional lugs between the spikes which aid in traction during climbing.
The body of the harness is made of a thermoplastic elastomer that provides a more comfortable fit and requires less adjustment when putting them on. The rivets that hold the harness together are low profile, which reduces the chance of rubbing on the toes during extended use. Another design improvement is a larger heel tab which we found provided an easier grip while wearing gloves.
We found the NANOspikes to be sturdy on icy pavement and harder packed snowy trails, giving us the confidence to maintain our speed. After 50+ miles on pavement and some trails, they’ve shown no wear or tear, and we look forward to using them for many winters to come. On deeper snow days, we opted for the Kahtoola MICROspikes which provide maximum traction but cannot be used on pavement.
Kahtoola NANOspikes are available at www.kahtoola.com.
Features:
- Concave tungsten carbide spikes
- Low profile rivet connections
- Large heel pull tab
- Available in extra-small to extra-large (women’s sizes 5–11.5+ / men’s sizes 6–13+)
- Includes carrying tote bag
- MSRP: $54.95