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Attaching crampons to footwear is the best option to prevent a slip and fall on ice. Crampons are most often used for extreme activities like ice climbing, crossing glaziers, ascending snow slopes and scaling ice-covered rock. While general purpose / light duty crampons are available for consumers for normal daily activities, they only work if the consumer routinely attaches them over their footwear. However, while the process of attaching the crampon to the footwear is straight forward, people typically forego using crampons despite the risks of serious injury.

There are several reasons why crampons are too much of a hassle for daily use. Crampons need to be manually removed by hand before going indoors or driving. This means that a simple trip to the grocery store would require the consumer to attach or detach the crampons eight times during the walk from the house to the car and from the car to the store and back. Additionally, crampons that are likely wet and slushy need to be carried while not in use.

The challenge is to design a traction device that is secured to the footwear once and left on. The method providing the traction for the device needs to be engaged and disengaged with the opposite foot or the floor. By having it always available and easily engaged, it makes the choice between convenience and safety unnecessary.

General Requirements:

1. The device will be secured to the footwear and left on.
2. The traction will be disengaged when in its original state.
   • When disengaged, there should be minimal interference with the footwear sole.
   • When disengaged, there should be no interference with normal activities such as walking and driving.
3. When the traction is engaged, it is critical to prevent accidental disengagements.
4. The traction engagement / disengagement needs to be performed mechanically.  No electrical components.
5. The traction will be engaged / disengaged using the opposite foot or the floor.
6. There cannot be any sharp parts in the device that can cause injury to the customer.  For example, no sharp spikes.
7. Due to the environment, the mechanical components must be able to work under very cold conditions.
8. The clearing of any ice, rock, slush from the device to properly operate the device should be as simple as knocking the obstruction off against the opposite shoe or the floor.
9. The device should be easily adaptable to at most 4 common sizes: S, M, L, XL.