Best Ice Cleats for Ice Fishing

• want excellent traction on ice, snow, packed snow, black ice, and good traction in mud;
• want the most durable ice cleats that stand up to harsh off-road conditions;
• plan to put them on your boots and leave them on for extensive periods of time;

• need ice cleats safe to wear while climbing (ICEGRIPS™ have a ½ inch exposed, defined heel);
• require industrial-grade straps on your shoes and boots to keep your ice cleats aligned and securely on your footwear (ICEGRIPS™ won't get sucked off your footwear in deep snow and in mud);
• fit large, bulky boots (requires an optional Bulky Boot Strap Kit); and
• want ice cleats with replaceable straps that extend their useful life.

ICE BEAST™ HIGH-PRO Features

• Twenty eight well-distributed 2mm Tungsten Carbide Studs 
  • provide excellent traction on ice, black ice, and hard packed snow;
  • are more studs than on any other stretch traction device; and
  • are molded in for greater retention, safety, and durability.
• Tungsten Carbide Studs last far longer and stay sharper than the carbon steel spikes found in most competing ice cleats.
• Patented Heel Spike allows walking naturally without using any new, special skills.
• Studs are designed to stay uniformly sharp throughout their useful life giving you consistent traction and safety.
• Permanent studs are more comfortable and secure than replaceable studs.
• 1-Piece Molded Proprietary Synthetic Compound Straps 
  • are extremely durable;
  • resistant to chemicals and other contaminants;
  • have no memory and never stretch out of shape;
  • stay flexible at low temperatures; and
  • have a unique characteristic that grips the surface of your footwear to prevent it from slipping out of alignment.
• Sole/Heel (colored) material is a harder material than the upper stretch portion. Therefore. the heel and sole have greater abrasion resistance and durability while upper has greater stretch.
• The Dimpled Foot Bed grabs the bottom of your shoe or boot to prevent the device from sliding out of place.
• The Aggressive Tread Pattern is self-cleaning and provides traction in snow, slush, and mud.

Why the Recommended Ice Cleats for Ice Fishing Give You Excellent Traction on Ice

• 22 aggressive, well-distributed, durable 2mm molded-in tungsten carbide studs provide traction on ice and black ice. Tungsten carbide is several times harder, more durable, and reliable than the carbon steel or stainless steel spikes or coils found in most competing ice fishing cleats. You want each spike to be there and in top condition when you need it.
• Well-distributed spikes are crucial, especially on rough ice, because you want at least one spike to contact the ice at all times.
• The key to traction on ice is penetration. Therefore the aggressiveness is critical. Compare the ICEGRIPS spike design to competing products that use hexagonal steel screws, which quickly wear down, or spike designs with more surface area. Which stud design does common sense tell you is better?
  
  Also, visualize a spike penetrating the ice to driving a nail into a piece of wood. A soft, dull nail may work fine nailing in pine but will be useless nailing into oak. The principle applies to ice cleats studs.
  
  Ice cleats that may work well under normal conditions on overall level surfaces may fail you in frigid temperatures when ice is denser or walking uphill and downhill.
  
  Reduced performance under these conditions is an even bigger problem for ice cleats that use wound steel coils.
• Molded-in spikes are the most reliable and far more reliable than replaceable spikes. Losing replaceable studs, and especially screws, happens more frequently after repeated replacements. (Note: if losing screws is your only reason for looking for new ice fishing cleats, you could try using a product like Locktite.)

Rough ice, as shown in the picture, separates professionally designed ice fishing cleats from recreational ice cleats. Your ice cleats should have studs in the middle of the sole, not just around the edges.

Imagine stepping on a raised area where you don't have studs. Your foot can rapidly slide. As you already know, once you lose traction it's very difficult to get it back. Just ask any NASCAR driver about regaining traction.

Now let's assume you somehow step on a raised area of the ice, you do have well-distributed studs, but you somehow miss them all. Now you are counting on the next available stud to stop your skid. First, that stud better be there. Second, that stud had better be a very aggressive stud.

Ice Cleats Must Stay Securely On and Aligned

Ice cleats won’t keep you safe if they don’t stay securely on and correctly positioned on your boots. An important consideration is that the ice cleats manufacturer designs the cleats for use on the large oversized PAC boots most ice fisherman wear. Sandal-style strap-on ice cleats are hands down the best way to fit and reliably stay on any boot, especially giant boots.

ICEGRIPS use strong industrial-quality straps. Once they’re on your boots, especially utilizing the Ankle Strap configuration, ICEGRIPS become part of your boot. ICEGRIPS aren’t going anywhere, no matter what you’re pushing or pulling.