Amazon.com Reviews
Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
The following review received 7 helpful votes out of 7 total votes:Review Date: 2006-02-05"Great product, but could use a few minor tweaks"I purchased a pair of the heavy-duty StabilIcers to take with me to Stockholm, Sweden, for the winter. I'm overweight, and have a knee problem that limits my stability quite severely on ice and slick surfaces. I have, in the past, used stretched-rubber oversoles with carbide tipped spikes (available for ~150 SKr in most Stockholm shoe shops). These have worked poorly; tough to get on and off while standing (basically, you really need to take off your shoes!), and tended to slip out of position on shoes.
The Stabilicers work like a charm! I feel fully confident striding around town, crossing ice / slushy snow with ease. They are much easier to put on and retain; it helps to have a bench to hike a leg up on, but it's not strictly necessary. They stay in position fairly well, and feel like an extension of my feet. As I've only been using them for a week, I have no verdict yet on the lifetime of the screws underneath. I suspect, however, if you use them as I do (mixed snow / ice / slushy streets and sidewalks) you will wear the screws down within a few months. Rest assured, replacing the cleats is a trivial process, and their replacement cost is fairly minor.
The drawbacks:
These things are NOT quiet. Locals (especially Swedes!) who know how to walk on ice and snow and don't have knee problems, will stare at you like you are a freak. Even the old people. Just grin and bear it.
These things do not fold up. The rubber is fairly rigid, and you really can't bend them in two to stuff them in a pocket when you go into a store. I usually carry a plastic bag in a pocket to shove them into when I go into and out of a store. Or stick them in my backpack.
These things cannot be worn indoors, at all. They will instantly put divots into linoleum (oops).
Improvements:
The only improvements I could suggest would be:
1) The toe strap; it only sinches across the foot. It would be nice if the piece that runs along the foot, from the front to the toe band, could also be cinched down and tightned. Since the StabilIcers are designed to fit multiple shoe sizes, this would be a really good feature.
2) The toe strap. Perhaps make it a bifurcated piece of fabric, instead of a single strip. More like a bicycle toe clip? It would make it easier to get them on and off.
Overall, these are a wonderful device that I'm getting a lot of use out of. They make it so that I can spend time in the outdoors during the rare days of sun during the Swedish winter. If you have knee problems, get yourself a pair of these! 4 stars The following review received 5 helpful votes out of 5 total votes:Review Date: 2007-03-25"Great traction"I bought these to help negotiate icy winter trails in local natural areas. They worked very well. In addition, I also use them for stream beds, which get quite slippery in summer due to algal growth. In both cases, I'm carrying photography equipment that just will not tolerate either a dunk or a drop. These strap on, not held on by strecthy rubber.
Strongly recommended. 5 stars The following review received 3 helpful votes out of 3 total votes:Review Date: 2007-12-07"Durable & effective"Highly recommended! These work as advertised, and do so better than several other products I've tried.
I live in the country, on a steep hill. It's uncanny to be able to walk on icy sidewalks, roads or bumpy trails with these and be so stable and slip-free. Replacement lugs are available if you need them, but I've put several miles on mine over the past 3 years, and so far, they show no signs of significant wear. They have helped me avoid several back sprains and maybe worse.
Stabilicers eliminate the tenseness and trepidation of walking after an ice storm, or during the spring freeze-thaw cycles, when the snow gets extremely treacherous in my woods. But it will take you some time to get comfortable with the fact that you won't slip while wearing these - your body won't believe it at first, and you'll tense up and walk gingerly, per usual. But you'll soon relax, and a Zen smile will crease your face. 5 stars The following review received 2 helpful votes out of 2 total votes:Review Date: 2007-02-07"Stabilicers work well for hiking!"I bought these after many recommendations from other people who have them and use them for hiking on snowy trails. They are perfect when there is not enough snow for snowshoes and not enough ice for crampons, but some type of traction device is needed to prevent slippage. They are easy to put on and take off. Unfortunately, one of our dogs chewed through the box and part way through the straps on one of the Stablicers! I wonder if they were attracted by the rubber smell?
Kristin, hiker of the high peaks in the Catskills and Adirondack Mountains of New York State. 4 stars The following review received 2 helpful votes out of 2 total votes:Review Date: 2007-12-13"They Work!"A friend and I bought these last winter after failing to negotiate a steep road covered in glare ice. After donning the StabilIcers, it was like walking on dry pavement. That's not an exaggeration. Highly Recommended and made here in Maine! 5 stars |
