Yaktrax are great tools that work extremely well. There are a few models and setups that are out and about, but these are the two pairs that I have found work the best.
Yaktrax Pro: These are made of elastic rubber and a metal coil that simply wraps around your footwear of choice. They are excellent for hiking or walking, particularly during inclement weather such as snow and ice, and especially when both are present. They work excellently at adding stability and confidence when ascending and descending. They are not the best on some indoor flooring types, but usually with some tiptoeing, you can figure it out. They are not excellent for walking on indoor flooring for long periods or simply asphalt or concrete, as the coils affect the pattern of your foot placement.
Yaktrax Spikes are were great on a frozen lake or black ice on the driveway, they provide some traction but not nearly as much as the Yaktrax Spikes. The spikes are perfect for walking on an iced-over lake, parking lots, asphalt, or sidewalks that have been shoveled. It's also a lot easier walking on a concrete floor with these than the Yaktrax Pros. The spikes are tungsten though, and will absolutely scratch wood flooring and other soft flooring materials.
I like having two pairs of the Yaktrax Pro that live in the car. The reason for this is inevitably, I am going to get to the trailhead with the dogs with my wife and realize it’s slick out. One for her and one for myself.
I also have experienced conditions before, although very unique, in which in Vermont it rained hard and then flash froze. The highways were thick with ultra-slick ice. It was a major safety issue. An ambulance parked and was stationary for several minutes before it decided to, on its own accord, slide nearly 20 feet (picking up speed fast) and slide off the interstate into a ditch with a patient in the back. Thankfully, all were fine. It was so bad out I could not travel on the highway faster than 5 mph with brand new snow tires. Without the Yaktrax, I seriously would have been unable to walk safely without substantial risk of falling.
I also can attest to many times I was working as a Trooper when it was slick out or simply snowing and I needed to have assurance my feet would work in an emergency. I would wear the Yaktrax Pros all shift for 10 hours. I can say for a fact they have likely saved me from serious bodily harm by moving out of the way of an out-of-control car or having some grip in a scrape.
These are both highly durable and can last for years if cared for properly. The biggest care tip I have is to make sure at the end of a shift, take them off your boot. I have found if you leave them on your boot overnight or on your boot for several days it substantially increases the chance of the rubber breaking. Washing them quickly in the sink to get the salt off might help as well, although I never did.
As they say in the Infantry, movement is life. If you can't reliably move, you are in jeopardy of losing your life.