Yaktrax Walk and Osteoporosis: The Only Fall Device With a Trial Behind It
Affiliate & medical disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Product mentions are editorial choices based on the evidence described below, not paid placements. Read our affiliate disclosure.
We have written before that no clinical guideline recommends a specific shoe for fall prevention. That remains true. But there is exactly one footwear intervention that has been put through a randomised controlled trial and come out the other side with a result — and it is not a shoe. It is a set of steel coils on a rubber band that costs about $22 (list price $22.99 at the time of writing) and stretches over whatever you already own.
This article is about that device: what the trial actually tested, which of the three Yaktrax models the evidence applies to, and the one safety point that matters more than any of it.
What this is not: we have not worn these. This is an assessment of published evidence and manufacturer specifications, not a field test. Where we cannot judge something from the outside, we say so.
The trial
In 2005, McKiernan published a randomised controlled trial of a simple strap-on gait-stabilising device in 109 adults living in a snowy climate in Wisconsin. Participants were randomised to wear the device outdoors through the winter or to carry on as normal.
Cochrane includes the study in its review of interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community.
That is a real result and it is worth taking seriously. It is also, as far as we can find, the only randomised evidence that anything you put on your feet reduces falls. Every shoe round-up you will read, including the parts of ours that recommend specific models, rests on weaker ground than this $23 accessory does.
The honest limits
One trial. 109 people. One climate. Published in 2005 and, to our knowledge, not replicated at scale since.
More importantly: it measured outdoor winter falls. Most falls in older adults happen indoors, and this device does nothing about those — that is a different problem with different fixes. If you live somewhere that does not freeze, this article is not for you.
And a result in fall rate is not the same as a result in fracture rate. The trial was not powered to show fewer broken bones. The inference is reasonable; it is still an inference.
Walk, Walk Plus or Pro — and which one the trial supports
Yaktrax sells three models that look similar and are not. Here is what actually separates them.
| Model | Price | What it adds | Intended use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk | ~$22 | 1.2 mm steel coils on an elastomer band. The baseline. | Light duty — errands, the post box, short walks |
| Walk Plus | ~$25 | Heel tab for getting them on and off, carry bag, carabiner | Same conditions, easier handling |
| Pro | ~$30 | Thicker 1.4 mm coils, tougher rubber band, Velcro strap over the top of the foot | Medium duty — long daily walks, deep snow, outdoor work |
The point most comparisons miss: the trial tested the basic coil device. It did not test the Pro, and it did not test the Plus. The cheapest model is the one carrying the evidence, and the upgrades buy durability and convenience, not proven fall reduction.
That does not make the Pro a bad purchase. If you walk a dog for an hour every morning through a Minnesota winter, thicker coils and a strap that stops the thing rotating on your foot are worth $7. But buy it for the durability, not because you think it protects you more.
Which one we would pick
For most readers of this site — someone over 50 with a bone density result they are not happy about, walking to the shops and back — the standard Walk is the one the evidence points at and the one we would buy.
If arthritic hands make fiddly things difficult, the Walk Plus heel tab is a genuine ergonomic gain for about two dollars. If you are outdoors for hours daily, the Pro will last longer.
Who should not bother
- You live somewhere that does not ice over. There is nothing here for you. Spend the money on making the bathroom safer instead — that is where the falls are.
- You already avoid going out when it is icy. Reasonable, and safer still. This device is for people who are going out regardless.
- You use a walking frame or rollator. Coils change how the foot rolls and can interact awkwardly with a frame. Ask a physiotherapist first.
- Your balance problem is not the surface. If you feel unsteady on dry, flat ground, traction is not your limiting factor. Balance training is.
Practical notes
Sizing. Yaktrax sizes by shoe size and the bands are meant to be a firm stretch. Too loose and they rotate under the foot, which is worse than not wearing them. Check the size chart against the largest shoe you plan to put them over, usually a winter boot.
What they do not grip. Coils are designed for packed snow, ice and slush. They do not help on wet smooth surfaces indoors, and no traction device tested has ever worked on oil. Bare steel on a supermarket floor is a slip hazard, not a solution.
Lifespan. Coils stretch and eventually snap, usually after a few seasons of regular use. Check them at the start of each winter the same way you would check the tread on your shoes: if a coil is broken or the band has lost its stretch, the device is not doing its job.
Where this sits in the bigger picture
A traction device stops a slip. It does nothing for bone. It does nothing for the strength and balance that decide whether a stumble becomes a fall, and it is useless eleven months of the year in most places.
The larger levers are still loading your bones, training balance and eating enough protein. This is a cheap, well-evidenced addition to those, not a substitute for them. If you would rather follow the larger levers as one structured plan, we went through one such programme in detail — including where its marketing overstates what it can do.
Common questions
Is Yaktrax Walk good for osteoporosis specifically?
No study has tested it in people with osteoporosis. What the trial showed is fewer outdoor winter falls in older adults generally. Since fracture risk in osteoporosis is driven largely by falls, the logic transfers — but treat that as reasoning, not evidence.
Walk or Walk Plus?
Functionally the same traction. The Plus adds a heel tab, a carry bag and a carabiner for about two dollars. Worth it if getting them on and off is the part you would struggle with; otherwise the Walk is what the trial supports.
Walk or Pro?
The Pro has thicker coils, a tougher band and a Velcro strap over the foot, and costs around $7 more. It is built for longer and harder use, not for better grip in ordinary conditions. For walking to the shops, the Walk is enough.
Can I wear them indoors for a moment?
No. Steel coils on a hard indoor floor are a slip hazard. This is the one rule worth being rigid about.
Do they work on wet leaves or wet decking?
They are designed for ice and packed snow. On wet smooth surfaces they offer little, and on oil nothing does.
How long do they last?
A few seasons of regular use. Inspect the coils each winter and replace them when one breaks or the band stops gripping.
Sources
- McKiernan FE. A simple gait-stabilizing device reduces outdoor falls and nonserious injurious falls in fall-prone older people during the winter. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2005;86(7):1342–1346. PubMed
- Gillespie LD et al. Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Cochrane
- Yaktrax. Walk Plus product specifications. yaktrax.com
- CDC STEADI. Feet and Footwear for Older Adults. CDC (PDF)
How we assessed this: we have not worn this product. This article is built from the published trial, the Cochrane review that includes it, and the manufacturer’s own specifications, with prices approximate at the time of writing and subject to change. Where a claim comes from the manufacturer rather than independent evidence, we have said so. Nothing here is medical advice: if you have osteoporosis, balance difficulties or neuropathy, discuss winter mobility with your doctor or physiotherapist. Read our affiliate disclosure, medical disclaimer and editorial policy.
