These skins are not made to replace kicker skins like those from Black Diamond. They're meant to replace kick wax in situations where waxing is difficult or impossible and you still want to kick and glide reasonably quickly. These are comparatively FAST skins that grip about as well as a good waxless pattern. Faster than fishscales, but not as fast as a correctly waxed ski. They're very light and compact. Ideal uses: *Crust skating. If you stay out too long and the snow starts to rot, you can still k & g out. *Warm conditions. If you just can't get the kick wax right, these will still allow you to classic ski reasonably quickly. *Abrasive trails. Ironed in klister scraping off in the first mile? These will work great. Unless you have Asnes or Fischer skis with their built in kicker attachment, these are worth having in your bag for all day or multiday touring on waxable or skate skis.
Only downside: They can make your skis feel a little bit tippy on bumby hardpack since they're so narrow.
This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.