Kahtoola Microspikes Ghost Footwear Traction Review

The Kahtoola Microspikes Ghost is a winter traction aid that is optimized for use with trail runners that have a soft sole and a collapsible toe box. They’re about 40% lighter weight and more packable than Kahtoola’s original Microspikes, which is their claim to fame. But that belies their chief benefit, which is comfortable interoperability with trail runners. In this respect, they’re comparable favorably to Black Diamond’s Distance Spikes, which serve the same purpose, but are built in a very different way.

• Weight: 200g / pair
• Number of Spikes: 12
• Spike Size: 9mm (compared to 10.4mm on original Microspikes)

If you’ve ever tried to wear of pair of Kahtoola’s original Microspikes with trail runners, it feels like you’re walking on nails and that someone is stepping on your toes, both at the same time. Kahtoola’s original Microspikes work best with footwear, usually boots, that have a thicker sole and a rigid toe box. Those are the issues that any winter traction aid for trail runners, needs to address.

Design and Fit

The Kahtoola Ghost is an elastomer based winter traction system that has twelve spikes for each foot. The spikes are grouped together in pairs and riveted to the elastomer harness, instead of being suspended from chains on the original Microspikes. The top surface facing the sole of your footwear is flat, so you don’t feel the individual spikes or the elastomer harness for that matter poking into your foot from below. I tested this out with trail runners that have very thin soles (Alta Lone Peak 9) and those that are maximally cushioned (Icebug Jarv RBX). The Ghost was comfortable to wear with both.

The rear of each Ghost has a rubber tab that you grip to pull the elastomer harness onto your shoe. This is difficult to do wearing gloves and you’ll want to use bare hands to do it.

The front of each Ghost has pre-curved elastomer arms which wrap are shaped to come in contact with the front of your shoe, but not to press down on it from above. They’re riveted to the  front of the harness, colored red, which distributes downward pressure on the toe box widely on top and around the sides of the toe box, so as not to pinch or pressure the toes inside. It works quite well, even on trail runners with very soft toe boxes (again, like the Lone Peak 9).

That’s the challenge with traction devices like the Ghost, since any downward pressure on the toes can limit blood flow, so they’ll feel colder, or worse, result in blisters from the increased friction.

Packability

The Ghosts folds up quite compactly, making them quite easy to store in a pack. They come with a small storage sack that you can use to protect your other gear from the spikes. But I prefer hooking them onto the exterior of my pack with a carabiner. The elastomer harness doesn’t make any noise and this provides you with a way to carry them after use, even if they’re wet and covered with snow.

Trail Performance

I’ve used the Ghosts on a variety of surfaces from ice and slush to powder and compacted snow. They’re not crampons, so forget about using them on any steeply angles or vertical ice, and they have the same range as the original microspikes, in that regard.

Despite the shorter spike length, their traction is noticeable on ice and slush and non-existent on powder, which you’d expect. They perform best on broken out and packed trails, where you can benefit from the combined action of the Ghost’s spikes and your footwear’s lugs. Unfortunately they do ball up a bit more than original Microspikes on snow that has a high moisture content, typical of Northeastern snow. This occurs because there’s less play in harness underfoot compared to the looser chains on original Microspikes. But that’s not the end of the world, just something to be conscious of when traversing trails that don’t have a firm bootpack.

Recommendation

If you use trail runners in winter conditions and need a lightweight, comfortable traction device that packs down small, the Kahtoola Microspikes Ghost is a strong choice. It balances comfort and performance well for day hikes on icy and packed trails, and is far more comfortable than wearing Kahtoola’s original Microspikes. I can also see the Ghost being very attractive for thru-hiking, where its packability and compatibility with trail runners could be a great asset in situations where a full crampon is not required.

Disclosure: Kahtoola donated ghosts for review.