New for review, Lakes-designed micro-crampons for all-round winter grip arrive.
Just arrived in time for winter, if it ever happens, is a pair of Pogu Spikes, neat mini-crampons developed in the Lake District and visually, it has to be said, initally very similar to the Kahtoola Microspikes.
Like the Kahtoolas they use hardened-steel spikes linked by chain and secured with a stretchy elastomer harness – a red one in both cases – which means they fit quickly and easily over pretty much any outdoor footwear from running shoes to full-on boots.
Like the Microspikes, the harness is easily fitted – to some adidas trail-walking shoes in our pics – with direction of fit helped by arrows and labelling on the harness. The Pogus do come with an additional security strap, which based on our experience with Kahtoolas, shouldn't really be necessary, but is reassuring.
Plates Not Platelets...
It's underneath where the main differences lurk. Microspikes use small, two-pointed platelets linked by the chains. In comparison, the Pogus have two larger, more solid plates joined together with a hinge-type link, so they're still flexible. It looks and feels like a more substantial arrangement, though whether you could tell the difference on the slippery stuff, we don't know. In some scenarios, they may be more stable and resistant to twisting we guess.
At the heel end of things, Kahtoolas have just two points which the Pogu's larger plate has four, which ought to give more outright grip particulary as two of the spikes are deployed across at right angles to the sole, which should give more grip when facing down hill. It's something we'll be trying to gauge if and when it actually snows this winter.
Exposed Sole Area
Finally, the lay-out of the linking chains is quite different. Notably, the Pogu Spikes leave the centre of sole unit exposed, while the Kahtoolas have chains running across them. We're not quite sure just how this will work in the real world, in some scenarios, the exposed sole may well give better grip, say on sharp fins of rock, in others, having the chains there may actually be a help, we're not sure. It also looks as it the Kahtoola design may hold the spikes more securely in place longitudinally, though in the real world, we doubt that would be a significant factor.
Weight Penalty
Interesting stuff. There's a small weight penalty for those bigger plates and added heel points, the Pogus tip the scales at 438g per pair while the Microspikes are just 358g in the same size, some 80g lighter.
For now, what we can tell you is that the Pogu Spikes seem to be well made, they promise a little more heel grip than the Microspikes, they may offer more outright all-round grip too, they were designed in the Lakes and they are slightly heavier.
Once we get some suitable conditions, we'll try to use them back to back with the Kahtoola Microspikes and the STABILicer Sports we also have in at the moment. Generally we're massive fans of micro-crampons, they're incredibly flexible in that they'll fit pretty much any shoe and, while they're not a substitute for crampons in technical mountaineering situations, they're also far less obtrusive and easier to use and give excellent traction on frozen surfaces where you can flat foot. They're also light and compact making them an obvious choice on marginal 'should I / shouldn't I/" days.
The Pogu Spikes retail for £45. More details www.pogu.co.uk.
