So how many times did you almost go flying on your way to the car/T today?

It looks like you talking about the "walker" ones as opposed to the pro ones? Im not sure if I see the difference besides the 10 dollars.

Also I would be curious as to how these devices handle the normal ground, as oftentimes the ground around here is icy in the shade and not icy in the sun. Does walking on the normal ground seem to effect these inserts, or does it affect your walking at all (it seems like they add a little bit of height to your step.) Ive seen the spiked shoe inserts before, but never these, if they do work then it may be worth the expense as I tend to be a clutz in the ice.

I've looked at those, although similar products I've tried in the past have not worked well. The problems I've had were (1) as ShadyMilkMan mentions above, they're fine for walking on snow & ice, but you can't walk on bare pavement at all w/them, and (2) they don't fasten securely over my boots/shoes and fall off. How do YakTrax compare on those points, and which type are you using? The "Pro" version seems to have a strap that goes over the instep which might help w/problem #2.

Thanks to you and others in this thread for the testimonials - I went to EMS myself and bought a pair of Yaktrax, which I put to the test today (Jan. 29, after that lovely day of snow, followed by sleet, followed by rain, followed by an overnight freeze.)

Another woman looking at the display at EMS confirmed my fears about the "walker" model, when she told me that they were quite good but she was annoyed by the fact that she'd spent $20 and the very first time she used them she lost one. So I sprang for the $30 "Pro" model with the velcro strap that goes over the top of the foot, and they did pretty well this morning. Admittedly I was avoiding the glassy sidewalks and walking mostly on rougher ice in the streets, but they gave me much more confidence in my footing than I've had so far this winter. (It must be noted that I took a bad fall last February and dislocated my shoulder, leading to 2 months of physical therapy and an extremely paranoid attitude towards any ice whatsoever, especially when that ice is wet.)

The minus points:
#1: They fit VERY snugly on the boot/shoe, and they're a pain to put on. I bought one size larger than recommended by the sizing chart, but I'm middle-aged and stout and there's no way in hell that I can get them properly installed if I'm already wearing my boots. To get a good secure fit, I had to put them on the boots first and then put the boots on, and even at that it took me several minutes of wrestling.

#2: The packaging warns quite emphatically that you may permanently damage flooring if you walk indoors while wearing Yaktrax. I had no trouble on bare pavement (what I could find of that on my way to the bus stop) and walked as carefully as I could once I arrived at work, but theoretically I need to sit down at the entrance to the building at work, wrestle them off, and carry them the rest of the way to my office, or risk inflicting some ugly scratches.

Huh?