I have a pair of Converse Run Star Hike Hi’s, and they’ve worked well for hiking and running in the past. But soon, I’ll be going abroad and will need to walk through ice caves. Does anyone know if I can put crampons on these shoes?
You’re actually looking for traction devices, not crampons. Crampons are for ice climbing or mountaineering, designed for use with specialized boots. What you want are traction devices, like MicroSpikes, which you can wear over almost any shoe. Just make sure you get the right size for your shoes, and you’ll be fine!
There are different types of crampons, but your shoes are too soft for real crampons. I use MicroSpikes on my trail runners when the conditions are icy. They’ll work much better than crampons for this kind of hike.
Converse shoes are good for light hiking and everyday wear, but they aren’t stiff enough for crampons. Crampons need a firm, rigid sole, especially for ice or rocky terrain. For ice caves, I recommend using winter or ice-specific boots, like those from Salomon, La Sportiva, or Scarpa, which are designed for crampons.
Unless you’re ice climbing or mountaineering, you likely just need MicroSpikes or something similar. These will work fine for icy conditions without needing crampons.
Kahtoola MicroSpikes are what you want. They work great, but there are cheaper versions like Yaktrax, though they don’t perform as well. Crampons require a stiff boot with specific attachment points, so you’d need proper mountaineering boots for that. If you’re curious about crampons, look up C3 crampons for details.
You can use MicroSpikes with your shoes.