Customer Reviews

Get-A-Grip Advanced

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've been using the get a grip advanced for 3 years.I found the "original" design to be well made and long lasting, which is saying a lot considering I walk on them for 6 hours a day on my postal route. That being said, what is pictured as the product (bi-directional tread, spike "diamond" pattern, heavy duty rubber) is not what is recieved these days......apparently the company has a new manufacturer. The "new and improved model" now has thinner rubber, no bi-directional tread, and a "square" pattern which I can attest does not provide as good a traction as the diamond pattern. With the original model I used to go through replacement cleats, but do not bother to get them with the new model.....the cleats will outlast the rubber....the inferior rubber heels disintegrate in no time. The only improvement was that they go on easier and stay on better.....please improve the quality!!

Pros:

1. They work. Glare ice "disappears" -- with these on I walk on ice as if it weren't there -- no sense of slipperiness whatsoever. I bought them during a New England winter that featured fresh glare ice every morning and every evening. I was using ski-poles to navigate from the house to the barn and still feeling as if I could fall any moment -- and did, several times. Then I found these, and haven't fallen on the ice once while wearing them. With them on it's hard to remember that ice is slippery!

2. They last. I've worn them every winter for at least four or five years and have replaced a few spikes, but the rubber is still almost like new. To replace a spike, just pull out the old one and push in a new one.

4. They fold up and tuck into a small plastic bag so you can easily keep a pair in the car or in purse, brief case, or back-pack.

5. The spikes are designed to pull out if they get caught between rocks or in a crack in the sidewalk, so you don't trip if that happens.

Cons:

1. The first year or two they were kind of a pain to put on and off -- I ended up just keeping them on a pair of boots. (Much easier now, I don't know whether I just got the hang of it or whether the rubber softened up a bit.)

2. You cannot wear these indoors! The carbide spikes will grip your floor just as aggressively as they grip the ice -- not good for floors. Salt, sand, and ice-melt are death to floors and furniture, too -- so in icy, slippery weather, leave your outdoor foot gear in the boot tray at the door!

3. As the another reviewer learned the hard way, don't rely on these for extreme climbing situations, and if they begin to fail, don't continue to rely on them. but for just plain getting around on the ice, these do the job and do it extremely well.

4. The spikes occasionally pop out and after a few years, wear down. Buy a set of spares when you buy the get-a-grips.

5. I've never tested it out, but it's apparently not a good idea to leave them on top of your bedroom dresser -- so take the guy's word for it and don't. I rinse mine off every now and then, fold them together with the spikes facing in, and tuck them into a zip-bag before stowing them.

Summary -- I love these things -- now I buy them for gifts.

I have owned these since they first came on the market several years ago. My husband and I both keep them on a pair of old slip on shoes permanently. Since I purchased them neither of us has fallen on the ice. These old bodies don't bounce very well. We have to walk about 500 ft to our mailbox, down a gravel drive and it can be treacherous.
Yes, they are noisy on concrete, but for us they work great.

The item you receive is NOT what is pictured here. The pair shown in the picture is the ORIGINAL design of the Get-a-grap Advanced. They have changed the design with is inferior to the ones pictured. I walk 6.5 - 7.0 hours a day as a Letter Carrier. The original design lasted more than one winter (like 1.5). The new design is junk and they barely last a month and a half. They've gone to a thinner, softer rubber that has NO DURABILITY. I'd be willing to pay a bit more for the originals, but I'd stay away from these unless you're only gonna use this ocassionally.

As another reviewer mentioned I just ordered these and they are not the same as what is pictured.

These are made of a far thinner rubber than the previous model and while they go on better on regular shoes they are smaller in the front and have to be stretched a lot to fit on my boots.

We will see how these hold up but I wish I could still get the old model.

I've used this product for several winters, mainly for running on icy streets. I've also used them for walking and running on snow covered trails and slick packed snow. I've never had any problems with tearing or coming off. They fit my shoe snugly, without a doubt. But they've given me a sure-footedness that allows me to run on slick surfaces without worrying about slipping and falling.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, once known as the Oil Capital of the World, has recently become the Ice Capital of the World. Our winter weather is usually not full on snow, but "wintry mix' which translated from meteorologist-ese, means freezing rain, sleet, and perhaps flurries of snow for decoration. Days like these bring our city to a halt, closing schools, businesses, and making our streets, parking lots, and sidewalks impassable. I have fallen on ice twice as an adult, once fracturing my wrist. I thought if Ice Grips could provide me even a little traction, I'd have a favorable view of them. I decided to buy a pair when I heard of a police officer who could actually run on ice wearing hers. I received mine in early January and had no occasion to use them until this week. An arctic storm moved in Monday which brought nearly a half inch of icy accumulation. My new Ice Grips met and exceeded my expectations. Not only did they truly provide no slip grip on the ice, they fit my shoes perfectly, and contrary to what another person had reported, did not scratch or mar my wood floor. The spikes are blunt on the ends and don't seem to even have that potential. They smell a lot like tires when the package is first opened , but one use and a little airing cleaned that up. I have no criticism of the Ice Grips, just wish they were available for children.

If you hike in fall/winter, please read this before purchasing Get-A-Grip Advanced. I purchased a pair of Get-A-Grip Advance for a November hiking trip to Mt. Cardigan in Alexandria NH area. As there's an overlap in size 10 (medium fits men 7-10 and large fits men 10-14), and after trying both sizes with my Montrail Torre GTX hiking boots in the store, I opted for the tighter fitting medium. I put my Get-A-Grip Advance on at the cabin I was staying and made my way along the trail to wardens cabin on Mt. Cardigan, which is just below tree line on the way to the summit. Others in the group I was with wore Stabilicers or Grip-Ons, which both performed well. I was the only one in the group with Get-A-Grips and found it necessary to stop several times to adjust the Get-A-Grips, which were constantly sliding off the toe of my boots. After a final adjustment at the warden's cabin, I started the steep ascent to the summit. I made it to the firetower at summit. Before ascending, I found it necessary to make yet another adjustment and noticed the rubber that connects the toe of the Get-A-Grip to the heel was starting to tear in 2 places. After yet another adjustment, the group and I started making our way off summit and down to the warden's cabin. While on a very steep portion of the mountain, the Get-A-Grip on my right boot came off and I took a 50' tumble down a partially ice covered rock slope, eventually coming to a stop in an area of snow covered shrubs. I shredded a $400 ArcTeryx Theta jacket in 3 places and received a number of deep cuts, bruises and abrasions to my body from the fall. Bottom line, Get-A-Grip Advance are probably sufficient for use while shoveling snow in the drivway, but regardless of the marketing claims made by Sure Foot Corp., the manufacturer of Get-A-Grip Advance, they are an inferior product and should not be considered reliable for use with any kind of hiking or mountaineering where ice and snow is present (the packaging states "Walk, Run and Hike with confidence on Ice & Snow") and are by no means a substitute for 10-16 pt. crampons. Needless to say, I'll be returning the left Get-A-Grip Advance and what pieces I could recover of the right one to the outdoor store where I purchased for a full refund.

The parking lot near my train station can get very icy in the winter. These really do grip the ice and prevent you from falling. For that alone, they're worth it which is why I give them 4 stars. The downside is if you alternate between walking outside where there's ice and inside, they will make noise and probably aren't very good on the floors. I haven't seen them do damage to any floors yet, but obviously they're not intended for indoors at all. Their web site warns they may damage "certain flooring surfaces", although they don't specify which ones. They can be a bit difficult to fit around your shoe at first too, depending on the size of your shoe. Since they're made primarily of rubber, just stretch it around the shoe. They should be a relatively tight fit so they don't come off accidentally. When I do use them, I have been able to get them on my sneakers. The most important thing to me in the end, was that they do what they're supposed to do, help prevent falling on the ice.

These get a grip are the best on the market I work for the United States Postal Service in upstate New York we have alot of ice all the time. I put these on when I leave the po and wear them all day and drive 55 miles with them on also. I can get out of my vehicle deliver a package to customers door and return to car in a split second (or 2) I was asking around at the po where we could find these and some said they couldnt find them any where so I told them I would search for them so we could get newer ones. I have owned these for over 5 years I have never had to replace a spike. When I am done work sometimes I dont even take them off and I go shopping with them on people stop and ask me about them all the time. So far amazon has the best price we will all be ordering them. I am getting some for my dear mother in law for xmas she likes to get her own mail from her mail box but afraid to fall I have confidence that if she wears these she will be safe.