My Yaktrax XTR recently gave up on me after years of good service. A few chain links that attach to the rubber part of the crampon ripped the said rubber so they became unusable. I liked them but the way the chain links are linked together meant that on every descent the back plate would slip behind my heel and I would loose grip.

I went to my local outdoor shop and checked everything they had available. I’m going to be perfectly honest, the Hillsound FREESTEP6 caught my eyes because there was a significant rebate at that time. I’m glad they did because they are better made than most crampons I saw.

Beginning with the rubber part you can see compared to Kathoola Microspike how this the rubber is where the eyelet attaches. The fit is also great, I bought a size large to go over my Lowa hiking boots and there is no movement whatsoever.

The Hillsounds also have more ”crampon plates” than the Kahtoola and Yaktrax that provides a better grip no matter the shape of the terrain you are on.

The grip on these is quite awesome considering that they are the entry level of crampons from Hillsound. If you are looking for even more grip take a look at the Trail Crampons as they have longer spikes. They also feature a velcro strap for an even more secure fit.

At a retail price of 39.99 this is a good addition to any hiker’s kit.