Winter in Chicago was quite brutal this year and the icy sidewalks were difficult to navigate. These ice cleats actually work, they have great traction on ice and the metal cleats do not lose their grip  if you are walking on a part of the sidewalk or street that is not icy. They are easy to slip on and off and are small enough to fit in your shoulder bag. The only negative is the cleats can be a little noisy on surfaces that do not have snow or ice.