IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: jackpine on Aug 30, 2020, 10:04 AM
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In need of a new pair of ice cleats this year. Looking for good recommendations on cleats that will last and will NOT come off. In the past have experienced loosing 1 and trying to find later in the snow. I see some of the newer ones now come with a Velcro strap, that might help. I might add that some that I have had are a b--ch to get on.
Thanks for your input.
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I have used Kahtoola's Micro for several seasons without them coming off ...but they are pricey ..Amazon has some knock offs and some with the cross strap which I imagine has to make them even more secure and for the money may be a great option for you ...but Katoolas CS seems to be outstanding according to past interactions from IS members. Some IS members have had issues with ice balls forming on the bottom ..but if you remember to stomp them from time to time it really a non issue .
What brand/style are you using now ?
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Sometimes I think I'm a cheap smack but really I'm just value minded. Had these for probably goin' on 30 years. I got 'em because the bright green latex tubing straps looked kinda cool.
ARCTIC SPURS
(https://i.postimg.cc/qqT9bDSt/Arctic-Cleats.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
I found the the latex didn't last but barely 2 seasons and really didn't secure the spikes like I needed. In the 3rd season I replaced the failed green tubing with regular natural colored latex. That was even worse. Before the end of the 4th season I replaced the latex with round, multi-filament rubber bungee you can buy very inexpensively by the foot at most camping supply stores. Got way over 10 seasons on the bungee plus they fit more snugly than the latex ever did. I just re-did them 3 seasons ago because the "standard length" I copied from the original latex was almost impossible to get on over my Cabelas TA III boots. Simple adjustment and I'm good to go for another 10 years or better. You don't even need a hog ring to secure the bungee unless you need/want it to look "professional". I used stripped 12 awg solid copper wire wrapped very tightly 3 times without a failure.
I know, they don't have heel-to-toe gripping and they are not a sexy choice. But they don't ice up where they won't work, clear easily if they do pick up a bit and are good enough steel to bang around quite a bit without getting all bent up. Geez, they aren't too different a design wise than the cheapest creeper you can get. Yet they have done the job for me for decades without fail once modded with bungee.
I won't mess with buckles, don't believe Velcro will hold up well in icy conditions, won't have a rubber webbed thing that fits over the boot because rubber deteriorates over time and bungee is way cheaper to replace than the entire creeper/spike deal. Mine ain't broke (any more), and call me a cheap smack, but I'm good. ;)2
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I have used Kahtoola's Micro for several seasons without them coming off ...but they are pricey ..Amazon has some knock offs and some with the cross strap which I imagine has to make them even more secure and for the money may be a great option for you ...but Katoolas CS seems to be outstanding according to past interactions from IS members. Some IS members have had issues with ice balls forming on the bottom ..but if you remember to stomp them from time to time it really a non issue .
What brand/style are you using now ?
Been using Yaktrax XTR's for the past couple years. On 1 foot the metal separated from the plastic not worth trying to repair.
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Tried different brands and finally settled on the Kahtoolas. Spendy yes. First set only lasted one season. got them replaced with no issues and no questions. Second set going in three seasons working fine. Main reason I recommend this brand is the great customer srevice.
Keep it safe! JDL
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Been using Yaktrax XTR's for the past couple years. On 1 foot the metal separated from the plastic not worth trying to repair.
My buddy had some Yaktrax..dont think they lasted too long . Once again Kahtoolas are the gold standard . I have tried them all ..having Stablicers for the longest ..but walking/fishing in them all day hurt my back ..you dont bend your feet and walk like the Frankenstein monster.. with the Kahtoolas not a bit of pain .
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Kahtoolas..maybe china knockoffs will work but im sticking to kahtoola microspikes.
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My kahtoolas are now 14 years old , and still going strong , I average 4 days a week
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I was gonna screw my TA IIIs with Kold Kutters but I just knew if'n I walked into a bar (or anywhere else) with my ice boots on I'd be tearin' up the floor. Now I'd never walk in with those things on at home but you never know... There could be tequila involved ;)2
So I'm back to Mr. Cheap Smack... :roflmao:
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I picked up a pair of TAs 2 years ago for really cold days and I put Kold kutters 21 in each boot Very comfortable and change out after fishing
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Kahtoola Microspikes
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Honestly, I think it depends what you're like and how you use em.
I'm a big dude and I ice fish 5 days a week if there's ice. I'm not very thoughtful on where I walk with my cleats (concrete, sand, rocks) and I naturally put more wear on them being heavy.
I have yet to buy a pair of cleats that haven't broken or disappointed me in someway. I've tried the elastic tube spike ones, yaktrax, everything under the sun. The closest ones I've come to loving were the HT strap on full sole cleats. Downfall was the studs fell out often.
So basically now days I buy whatever is on sale and run em til they break and buy something else.
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My drive to the river/lake is as little as 5 minutes, or at most 20 minutes, so I can pretty much be fully dressed with boots/bibs and everything before I leave the house. I wanted something I could drive with, and walk the icy parking lots. I used the regular YakTrax for several years, but I'd go through a set every season. I tried the chains also by YakTrax and have been wearing the first set I bought for three seasons. They don't have the "grip" like the sheet metal ones do, but I can wear them driving, inside the gas station/bait shop, shoveling the driveway, pretty much anywhere but the floors inside my house. They grip pretty well, I've never worried about slipping. Recommended, and under $20
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I'm a cheap ass and too lazy to put those things on! Got an old pair of Kamik(?) boots that I just screw in 1/4 inch sheet metal screws into the raised soles, works great, easy to replace!
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I used some Yaktrax Pro ones for two years before the rubber broke. Some gorilla tape got me another year out of them. Not bad if you don't mind replacing.
I just bought a pair of these from Amazon. No ice yet, so I haven't gotten to try them out. These are one option for knock off Kahtoolas that some guys referenced. Only $24, so I rolled the dice on them being decent. I'll do a review post once I've had a chance to try them out.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0784RQW5C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0784RQW5C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
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I would never buy Kahtoola's for a single reason: I cannot wear them in my permanent fish house.
I leave my other chain/diamond style cleats on my boots all winter long and never take them off. If I wore Kahtoola's, I'd have to put them on/off regularly in order to drive and avoid damaging my fish house flooring or change boots in order to go inside/outside.
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I would never buy Kahtoola's for a single reason: I cannot wear them in my permanent fish house.
I leave my other chain/diamond style cleats on my boots all winter long and never take them off. If I wore Kahtoola's, I'd have to put them on/off regularly in order to drive and avoid damaging my fish house flooring or change boots in order to go inside/outside.
I thought about that too with the ones I ordered. They don't look like something I can wear inside my house. I fish outside or in a hub, so I figure I'll leave them attached to my boots. I usually only put my boots on once I'm at the lake anyhow.
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kahtoolas, I bought a pair a couple years ago. I highly recommend them.
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I’ve tried most and never found a coil or chain one that stayed on, the coil ones I thought were slippery and dangerous. I like the cheap HT rubber ones you pull over your boot. Cheap and effective.
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Spending $70-$80 on microspikes is still cheaper then a hospital/insurance claim. I've had my micro spikes for 5 seasons now and still rock solid. I have heard people that do run into issues though have very good CS from them as well which is a nice piece of mind thing as well.
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I actually stepped up into getting crampons. The full function of being able to run and turn and even dragging a loaded sled up slopes or stopping yourself from sliding down a slope is quite something. Not that I'm about to start climbing any ice heaves but if need be, no worries either.
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Spending $70-$80 on microspikes is still cheaper then a hospital/insurance claim. I've had my micro spikes for 5 seasons now and still rock solid. I have heard people that do run into issues though have very good CS from them as well which is a nice piece of mind thing as well.
Spikes n Spud or Crampons n Chisel first ice and last ice any ice safety gear and a must .
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Stabil icer
(https://i.postimg.cc/TpLhtqxF/shopping.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/TpLhtqxF)
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Arctic spurs here also, been using for over 25 years and will have to try the bungee cord
When rubber goes bad again. Have tried others like YakTrax and rubber pull ones but
always go back to the spurs. Tried and trusted let alone they were real cheap and long lasting.
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Spikes n Spud or Crampons n Chisel first ice and last ice any ice safety gear and a must .
Which Crampons did you go with, I kinda like this idea.
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Which Crampons did you go with, I kinda like this idea.
Kahtoolas ...if I had the money I spent or other brands I could of bought a back up pair .
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check out sportsmens direct. https://sportsmensdirect.com/shop/ice-cleats/ice-hopper-creepers/ not sure if link will work but normally they put these on sale for like 39 bucks. On par with kahtoohlas for less. They have treated me well for a few years.
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Look to ice hopper's from Sportsmen Direct. Just as good if not better than Kahtoolas. For about half the price.
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Sometimes I think I'm a cheap smack but really I'm just value minded. Had these for probably goin' on 30 years. I got 'em because the bright green latex tubing straps looked kinda cool.
ARCTIC SPURS
(https://i.postimg.cc/qqT9bDSt/Arctic-Cleats.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
I found the the latex didn't last but barely 2 seasons and really didn't secure the spikes like I needed. In the 3rd season I replaced the failed green tubing with regular natural colored latex. That was even worse. Before the end of the 4th season I replaced the latex with round, multi-filament rubber bungee you can buy very inexpensively by the foot at most camping supply stores. Got way over 10 seasons on the bungee plus they fit more snugly than the latex ever did. I just re-did them 3 seasons ago because the "standard length" I copied from the original latex was almost impossible to get on over my Cabelas TA III boots. Simple adjustment and I'm good to go for another 10 years or better. You don't even need a hog ring to secure the bungee unless you need/want it to look "professional". I used stripped 12 awg solid copper wire wrapped very tightly 3 times without a failure.
I know, they don't have heel-to-toe gripping and they are not a sexy choice. But they don't ice up where they won't work, clear easily if they do pick up a bit and are good enough steel to bang around quite a bit without getting all bent up. Geez, they aren't too different a design wise than the cheapest creeper you can get. Yet they have done the job for me for decades without fail once modded with bungee.
I won't mess with buckles, don't believe Velcro will hold up well in icy conditions, won't have a rubber webbed thing that fits over the boot because rubber deteriorates over time and bungee is way cheaper to replace than the entire creeper/spike deal. Mine ain't broke (any more), and call me a cheap smack, but I'm good. ;)2
are they Red Green specials? What is that gripper made from?
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are they Red Green specials? What is that gripper made from?
They are called K&E Ice Chisel Boot Cleats:
https://sportsmensdirect.com/shop/ke-ice-chisel-boot-cleats/
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are they Red Green specials? What is that gripper made from?
I have a set and it's like 15 yrs old. I don't use it much, since I bought actual crampons. If I remember right, the metal plate is some alloy type that is rust resistant. Haven't seen any corrosion on mine. I figure that if the latex ever breaks, I'll just use some shoestrings to lace them in place.
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No more flat backing for me. Put cricket cleats in my NEOS over shoes.
(https://i.postimg.cc/FdXtzcgg/IMG-20200112-192715818-TOP.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FdXtzcgg)
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No more flat backing for me. I put cricket cleats in my NEOS over shoes
(https://i.postimg.cc/FdXtzcgg/IMG-20200112-192715818-TOP.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FdXtzcgg)
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No more flat backing for me. I put cricket cleats in my neos overshoes.
(https://i.postimg.cc/FdXtzcgg/IMG-20200112-192715818-TOP.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FdXtzcgg)
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are they Red Green specials? What is that gripper made from?
Mine are R/G specials now as they have been repaired with bungee but the gripper part originally came with the green latex on a card. Mine were called Arctic Spurs but I have also seen them marketed as K&E Ice Chisel Boot Cleats. Same product, two different names. The gripper part is some sort of heavily zinc plated steel. Gotta be pretty decent steel too as I haven't bent mine (and I'm no Tiny Tim) and they stay plenty pointy despite lots of miles on ice plus the abuse they get on gravel and asphalt parking lots or roads.
When I get back north I'll take a pic of the bungee repair. I think that could apply to a number of creepers with failed straps. It's cheap and so durable it's positively amazing.
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Thx---I thought that the metal part might have been some sort of gusset used for framing wood construction. So faux RG you might say
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https://sportsmensdirect.com/shop/ke-ice-chisel-boot-cleats/
I had cleats similar to these to by HT ..After a day or two of tip up fishing the bottom arch of my feet would hurt for days ..eventfully got Stabilizers ..help alot ..but went and sticking to Kahtoola..could be on ice all day and no pain.
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https://sportsmensdirect.com/shop/ke-ice-chisel-boot-cleats/
I had cleats similar to these to by HT ..After a day or two of tip up fishing the bottom arch of my feet would hurt for days ..eventfully got Stabilizers ..help alot ..but went and sticking to Kahtoola..could be on ice all day and no pain.
Same experience I had with the Artic Spurs. I spend a lot more time standing than sitting and my feet would get sore by the end of the day around my arch. Surprisingly, they did have pretty good traction on the ice for something that covered only a small area of the boot.
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Another cheaper option
http:// https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwij-pnv8-rrAhW-hVoFHVOXDS8YABA2GgJ2dQ&sig=AOD64_1is2aoriioiMpK-pufjoFpTePJvA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwi20JLv8-rrAhUP2FkKHUZTCRcQwg96BAgFEDM&adurl=
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Another cheaper option
http:// https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwij-pnv8-rrAhW-hVoFHVOXDS8YABA2GgJ2dQ&sig=AOD64_1is2aoriioiMpK-pufjoFpTePJvA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwi20JLv8-rrAhUP2FkKHUZTCRcQwg96BAgFEDM&adurl=
I bought a pair of these sometime back as a back up pair..they seem nice but havent had a chance to use them/test them.
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I bought a pair of these sometime back as a back up pair..they seem nice but havent had a chance to use them/test them.
Same here lol
My kahtoolas are now 14 years old , I felt a spare set of cleats was in order , old guys take longer to heal 🤕
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I had a 2 year old pair of Kahtoolas break on my size 14 Muck boots. They sent me a replacement pair. But I also bought these last year for $20. They work as good as the others. Now they are on clearance. I bought two more pair yesterday. There is actually two ads on Amazon, one with clearance price and one without.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FZ2TKJS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FZ2TKJS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have seen these pop up on a few threads here over the years. Amazon prime day had these for $10 so I bought a set. They are labeled with front and back and I thought right and left but I got 2 L's and no R's? Any one else experience the same thing? Perhaps the L doesnt mean left?
(https://i.postimg.cc/V5CH4LnZ/01-AB3-BE7-0350-4671-A072-C8-ADC6341-D3-B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/V5CH4LnZ)
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L probably stands for large.just a guess but my Kahtoolas fit on either boot.
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I have seen these pop up on a few threads here over the years. Amazon prime day had these for $10 so I bought a set. They are labeled with front and back and I thought right and left but I got 2 L's and no R's? Any one else experience the same thing? Perhaps the L doesnt mean left?
(https://i.postimg.cc/V5CH4LnZ/01-AB3-BE7-0350-4671-A072-C8-ADC6341-D3-B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/V5CH4LnZ)
Yeah, the genuine Kahtoolas don't have a left/right. Just Sm/Md/Lg.
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If they are good enough for NH fish and game...they are good enough for me...Katoolahs !!
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I’ve tried most and never found a coil or chain one that stayed on, the coil ones I thought were slippery and dangerous. I like the cheap HT rubber ones you pull over your boot. Cheap and effective.
I use HTs too. No complaints v
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Picked up a set of Korker APEX ice cleats and have been pretty happy. Going on year #3 with them.
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Hey guys, apologies if this has been mentioned already. I've read a bunch of threads about ice cleats and can't remember which one is which.
For guys with bigger feet like myself, check out the Korker Apex cleats. I have a pair of size 15 Baffin Eigers, so big enough cleats have always been an issue. Was at Scheels yesterday and grabbed a pair of XXL Korkers Apex cleats and they fit incredibly well. Went on easy and aren't overly stretched out. Will be curious to see how they hold up, but for those looking for big boot options, give these a look.
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Broke down and paid the $$ for the Kahtoola microspikes, Used them today for the first time, all ice no snow, Why the hell did I wait so long!!, Ordered another pair for my son. Worth the money, excellent traction, and most of all, they don't come off!!
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Kahtoolas. Always and forever. Safest cleat you'll wear. Folks grouse about snow sticking to the chains. Microspikes will bite through four inches of snow and slush into what good ice you have underfoot. VERY important feature.
Walking into a bar, or bait shop, you should be still in something like ducks or mucks or you'll never get served again. Or just pull 'em off, since you're done fishing anyway...
If you're stepping into your own permie and that worried about the floor getting scratched, shouldn't you should change out to a pair of lounge slippers and a smoking jacket while you're at it?... ;) I plan for me being lazy, cold and inattentive to details. That's why my huts don't have floors, my pickup has work truck rubber mats instead of carpeting, and I have a spot that can take getting chewed up in the "mud room" while I strip off gear.
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Love my StableICERS...Been wearing the same pair for over a decade..replaced the cleats once. A bit heavy...but built to last!
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I have seen these pop up on a few threads here over the years. Amazon prime day had these for $10 so I bought a set. They are labeled with front and back and I thought right and left but I got 2 L's and no R's? Any one else experience the same thing? Perhaps the L doesnt mean left?
Yeah, that's the ice fishing joke. There's two Xtra Left but no Xtra Right.
I just made the mistake of buying some jogging pants. The description was listed as regular firm fit, loose fitting, and extra loose fitting. There were small, medium, and large size. I found a medium 30, large 30, extra loose 30. Bought the extra loose fit size 30. Went to remove the hanger clip and then found out it was really extra loose. I could probably fit a size 44 waist into it.
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Broke down and paid the $$ for the Kahtoola microspikes, Used them today for the first time, all ice no snow, Why the hell did I wait so long!!, Ordered another pair for my son. Worth the money, excellent traction, and most of all, they don't come off!!
Just be careful and don't "adjust" them when sitting in front of a hole. Without thinking about it I did just that and I slipped and the thing shot off like a rubberband and right down the hole it went.