A lot of the time, choosing lighter gear for BPL just means needing to take better care of it. With foot traction devices, one could bite the the dust if a failure occurred. This is what makes it so hard to choose something lighter than the Microspikes. If it is not rugged enough, it can be lethal. I’ve really beat the heck out of the Micros for years, and they have never failed.
But I eventually bought a pair of Snowline’s Chainsen Lights (large), which had spikes as large as the Micros, and are just over 3 oz lighter for the pair. They go on much like the Micros, and use a similar rubbery material to hold them onto the footgear. The spikes look just as durable, but the rubbery stuff is visibly lighter, and there is no way to know how durable it will be with rough use. So they are used with care.
Both devices have straps, albeit elastic, around the heels, and there are points under the heels as well. Posts on BPL have drawn attention to several lighter devices that do not have points under the heels, and I’ve passed them up because I want traction under the heel, especially when descending. And I’m not sure if any such device can be securely attached without a heel strap of some kind.
Both devices are also a PITA for me to put on, but their utility outweighs that concern. Still, after using Ramer ski bindings for years, it would be nice to see a traction device come along that mounts with just a retainer or strap over the toe and a cam connector at the heel. It probably wouldn’t work on trail shoes, but it certainly was effortless to put on.
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