Product Description : SIZING...Women (Small 5-8) (Medium 8-11) (Large 11-Up) Men (Small 4-7) (Medium 7-10) (Large 10-14) The New! Diamond pattern provides more push off and lateral grip. Ice Diamond carbide spikes are integrated into the new bi-directional rubber tread for superior traction. 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.
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