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Well, an almost face-plant installed by microspikes occurred yesterday.
But luckily I was able to catch myself with my hands onto a log before crashing.

It went like this.....
After going up the Manitou incline, my friend and I were coming down the side trail back to Barr, when my microspiked clad feet clipped and caught on one another. It was like someone grabbing hold of both of my feet!

This happened on a down-sloping rocky section of the trail. Luckily, there's a log on hiker's left that parallels the trail, so as I hopped and starting going down, I put my hands on the log as I was falling and the log kept me from doing a full on face-plant!
It would have left a mark otherwise.

Has anyone else had close calls with their micro's catching?

If you think microspikes are bad, try crampons. The use of each requires a lot of practice! When I first started wearing crampons, I had a hard time learning to walk with them. Microspikes will require the same conceptual application. Good catch with your hands though!

I actually have had the same thing happen. Probably congruent to descending with crampons. I think that extra space taken up on the base of footwear causes trip-ups. I put a little more effort in to landing toward my heel when I wear them, but fatigue can sometimes lead to that lazy foot syndrome. Nice save though. Sounds like you made out more graceful than I did when it happened to me.

Well, I don't usually need an equipment malfunction to take a spill (this tends to occur naturally due to my own clumsiness), but I have experienced a near face-plant due to microspikes once or twice.

Perhaps mine are a bit too large, because there's always some slack in the chains on the bottom. I've caught those loose chains on rocks before and the outcome could have been nasty if I hadn't caught myself.

But getting them actually caught together is something I hadn't considered and will be sure to watch out for! A good reminder that the stuff that is supposed to make you safer can sometimes have the opposite effect.

tx_mountain_medic wrote:If you think microspikes are bad, try crampons. The use of each requires a lot of practice! When I first started wearing crampons, I had a hard time learning to walk with them. Microspikes will require the same conceptual application. Good catch with your hands though!

Oh yeah, same kind of thing when you catch the inside of your leg with a point. But I've yet to have a close call with crampons, luckily.

My micro-spike incident happened I think because one of the links in the chain had come undone and hung out to the side.
My friend was behind me, and watched it all happened. She said on a scale from 1-10, my cat-like reflexes rated at 10! (10 being best;))
However, she also wondered to herself, as it was unfolding, "hmmm....how is this going to affect the rest of my morning?!"

wooderson wrote:Perhaps mine are a bit too large, because there's always some slack in the chains on the bottom. I've caught those loose chains on rocks before and the outcome could have been nasty if I hadn't caught myself.

Not sure if this is applicable, but the same thing was happening with Elle's microspikes - some slack in the cross-chain due to her narrow foot. I marked the loose pieces of chain with a sharpie, then took them off her boot and removed one of the marked links with a needle pliers (like removing a chain link). Walla! It worked awesome.

y wooderson » Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:45 am
Well, I don't usually need an equipment malfunction to take a spill (this tends to occur naturally due to my own clumsiness)

+1000000 ... ... I am soo there.

It’s worth noting MicroSpikes size large. Be sure to look at the sizing chart. I wear 9.5 which take medium MicroSpikes. Since my double mountaineering boots are so big they take large. I also carry a multi-tool with pliers because I have had to repair a link on the trail.

I sometimes feel more leg fatigue after a MicroSpikes hike. It was really icy on Bergen Saturday. The MicroSpikes grip really well. The dynamic is different than how a boot will slide and catch on dirt.

I find crampons more dangerous. I’ve been fortunate so far. One of my friends has a nasty scar from a crampon spike. I just have a few nicks in my Gortex pants.

I have been tripped by my boot laces. I don’t lace my double boots to the top hooks. I filled the unused hooks in with Duck tape, because the lace from the other boot would catch.

d_baker wrote:

tx_mountain_medic wrote:If you think microspikes are bad, try crampons. The use of each requires a lot of practice! When I first started wearing crampons, I had a hard time learning to walk with them. Microspikes will require the same conceptual application. Good catch with your hands though!

Oh yeah, same kind of thing when you catch the inside of your leg with a point. But I've yet to have a close call with crampons, luckily.

My micro-spike incident happened I think because one of the links in the chain had come undone and hung out to the side.
My friend was behind me, and watched it all happened. She said on a scale from 1-10, my cat-like reflexes rated at 10! (10 being best;))
However, she also wondered to herself, as it was unfolding, "hmmm....how is this going to affect the rest of my morning?!"

I have noticed a problem with the chain being a little loose and wandered if it would catch something and cause me to face plant myself. Which brings me to question whether or not they are safe for ascents. Like you, I am not very well coordinated, so I have perfected falling!

I have not really had an issue and I do wear microspikes fairly often. Like Mountainhiker, I wear a medium microspike with a 9.5 boot or shoe so they are fairly tight. I can imagine a little slack in the chains could be a problem. I was able to jog back from a hike 2.5 miles on mostly downhill terrain a couple of weeks ago in mostly ice/snow and some dirt with my running shoes and microspikes. They did very well. On the other hand, I have put a few holes in my gaiters and pants with crampons. I guess I'm more of a crampon klutz.

wooderson wrote:Well, I don't usually need an equipment malfunction to take a spill (this tends to occur naturally due to my own clumsiness), but I have experienced a near face-plant due to microspikes once or twice.

+1 My wife has threatened to make me wear a helmet when I'm trail running!

Darin and all, for the last couple of years I used size medium with a size10.5 asolo hiking boot and they did well for me and fit snug. I used them also with my 10.5 Nepal but they finally blew out in June. I decided that if I went with the size large there would be less stretch and fatigue of the material. The thing is, on my last hike, they would not stay correctly positioned on my boots. The toe would roll and the chains in that area would be on the side of my boot and not under it. I don't recall having that much of an issue with the old medium pair. I was on rocky/uneven terrain but it still seemed like excessive shifting. What size are you 10.5ers using and how are they working out for you?