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Ice Grips

Slip-on ice grips give ordinary shoes real traction on frozen pavements, so a cold snap doesn't leave you stranded indoors or risking a fall on the way to work or the shops.

Why it matters

Every hard frost and snowfall brings a wave of slips and falls, and it is older or less steady walkers who come off worst. Ordinary shoes and even walking boots have no real grip on packed snow or a glazed pavement, which is how a short walk to the car or the shops turns into a broken wrist. Ice grips solve that cheaply: a rubber frame stretched over your normal footwear, studded with steel coils or spikes that bite into the ice.

They are the kind of small, forgettable bit of winter kit that quietly prevents an expensive, painful problem. A pair costs less than a takeaway, folds flat into a coat pocket, and means a surprise freeze doesn't strand you at home or force a risky shuffle down an icy path.

When to use it

Pull them on over your shoes or boots whenever pavements, driveways and paths are frozen or covered in packed snow, then walk normally instead of shuffling. They come into their own on the school run, the commute, dog walks and clearing your own drive.

Keep a pair by the front door through winter and a spare in the car. Take them off before coming indoors, as steel coils are slippery on smooth tile and can mark hard floors, and rinse and dry them after use through a gritted, salty winter.

Features to look for

Steel coils or carbide spikes

Coils grip well on packed snow and general ice and are gentler on paving; carbide studs bite harder on sheet ice. Either is a huge improvement over a bare sole.

A secure, stretchy fit

A strong rubber harness that hugs the shoe without rolling off mid-stride matters most. Check the sizing against your usual footwear rather than shoe size alone.

Quick on and off

You want to fit them in the doorway with cold hands in seconds. An over-the-toe and heel design that stretches on is far easier than fiddly straps.

Packs down small

A pair that folds into a coat pocket or glovebox is one you will actually carry, so it is there the morning the pavement turns to glass.

Common mistakes

Wearing them indoors

Steel coils and spikes are slippery on tile, laminate and shop floors and can scratch them. Take grips off at the door and carry them the last few steps.

Buying the wrong size

Too big and they roll off in use; too small and they will not stretch over a boot. Match them to the footwear you will actually wear in winter.

Leaving them in the car all season

The pair you need is the one within reach when you set off on foot. Keep a set by the front door as well as in the vehicle.

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Ice Grips

Why it matters

When to use it

Features to look for

Common mistakes