A staple of slapstick humor, the act of slipping and falling is a lot less funny when it happens to you—and the risk goes up in winter.

After testing 19 traction devices on water-slicked ice, hard-packed snow, and slippery hills on wintry city sidewalks and forested trails, we’ve identified the Yaktrax ICEtrekkers Diamond Grip cleats as the best for occasional suburban and city walking. We also have picks for regular use in more serious terrain.

Everything we recommend

Top pick

Upgrade pick

Best for...

Best for...

For road running

Kahtoola NANOspikes

These lightweight cleats have 10 small, tungsten-carbide spikes, which grip the black ice and mixed snow that can make winter asphalt treacherous. The small spikes aren’t great for more rugged terrain, though.

Top pick

Spiked, rotating beads underfoot make the Yaktrax ICEtrekkers Diamond Grip cleats the most versatile traction option we found, as they can reasonably navigate a lot of mixed non-technical terrain.

They meld to ice patches and bite into hard snow, and because the beads rotate, they even shed softer snow before it can build up underfoot. The spikes are not as aggressive as those on a traction device built specifically for hiking in the wilderness, so they’re also easier to use on pavement.

That’s really important, because if you live somewhere wintry, taking out the trash on an icy Tuesday night should not be a harrowing experience. (However, if you regularly traverse superslick ice, you might consider our upgrade pick.)

As with most models we tried, each Diamond Grip is attached to a rubber harness that slips on over the outside of your shoe, so these cleats should work with any shoe you have, and you can remove them at the door before you enter a house or store.

You might also find this set sold as simply the Yaktrax Diamond Grip; they’re the same, so pick the cheaper one.

Upgrade pick

For day hiking, running on trails, and some minor use on asphalt, the Black Diamond Distance Spike Traction Device offers a more stable platform than the Yaktrax ICEtrekkers. The Distance Spike cleats cost more, but they have actual spikes instead of beads, plus a nylon pull tab on each heel that makes putting them on and removing them easier. Their steel spikes strike a balance of grip and stability that works well on mixed terrain, though they’re too much for everyday use on pavement.

What sets the cleats apart the most from the competition is the nylon cloth upper that covers the top of your foot. It makes centering the cleat over your shoe easier than using the full elastomer harness you see on most cleats—including our top pick, the Yaktrax ICEtrekkers. There is a downside: The nylon doesn’t stretch as much as an elastomer harness would, so it may not fit very bulky boots.

The nylon pull tab is also easier to handle than the elastomer pull tabs common to most ice cleat harnesses—this reduces the chances of a fall simply by encouraging you to use the cleats more often.

Best for...

For backcountry hikers, the Hillsound Trail Crampon Ultra set offers the biggest and most plentiful spikes underfoot. The 18 stainless steel spikes are arranged at different angles to provide traction no matter which way your weight is distributed, so you’ll maintain grip walking both up and down hills. Those spikes are attached to six small metal plates, which also create traction.

Despite the name, the Trail Crampon Ultra is not a pair of actual crampons, which are rigid devices that mountaineers use to traverse hard or vertical ice. Instead, this Hillsound design is the most hardcore underfoot gripper you can get without going full crampon, attached with a heavy-duty rubber harness that fits over shoes or boots. These are definitely for backcountry use in the winter, when you’re facing deep snow or slick ice, and not for city streets or dry, rocky trails.

Best for...

For road running

Kahtoola NANOspikes

These lightweight cleats have 10 small, tungsten-carbide spikes, which grip the black ice and mixed snow that can make winter asphalt treacherous. The small spikes aren’t great for more rugged terrain, though.

Tungsten carbide spikes are lighter underfoot than the chains and steel spikes found on ice cleats meant for the backcountry. That’s why we recommend the Kahtoola NANOspikes cleats for safer road running in winter, when small patches of ice threaten dire consequences. Their small carbide spikes offer a lot more grip than the simple metal coil provided by many competitors, and they also stand up to more wear and tear.

Though the 10 spikes are made from a material much harder than stainless steel, they are short, so when you walk off that ice and onto dry pavement you won’t severely damage the ground or your spikes.