Whoa! Crampons on approach shoes? That’s crazy talk. Crampons belong on boots!
Most of us couldn’t agree more with this sentiment. But most of us also don’t want to walk across a short section of ice wearing boots for an alpine rock climb and then carry said boots in our backpacks when we put on our rock shoes.
Sometimes it makes a lot of sense to wear crampons on approach shoes. It’s not comfortable and it’s not fun. Indeed, half the time that you’re doing this, it feels like your foot is going to come right out of the shoe. On every step the crampons stick in the ice and have a nearly imperceptible hold your foot. It feels a little bit like you’re walking in sticky mud.
There are some crampon styles that work more effectively with approach shoes. Aluminum crampons are not really designed for standard mountaineering where you are going to wear your crampons all day. Instead, such crampons are light, have a low profile and often fit well on approach shoes. Aluminum crampons like the Black Diamond Neve Strap Aluminum Crampons and the Stubai Ultralight Universal Crampons are perfect for this type of use.
–Jason D. Martin