Great Northwet, the ice cleats don't seem that kind of long distance rugged to me (at least my model isn't), plus they aren't all THAT securely attached to the shoes. My model (same as in the picture above) is very flexible rubber that easily slips over the toe and up the back side of the shoe. I only wear them for relatively short distances and take them off as soon as I get back onto dry ground (inside a store, for example). I always wonder why they don't shift around more under my weight, but so far I've never slipped with them on.
When I've gone into the backcountry with more than a few inches of snow on the ground I usually wear snowshoes. I bought my snow spikes after one slightly nervous traverse of a steep slide area where my snowshoes didn't grip all that well. Newer snowshoes (mine are old surplus) often have spikes and I was very jealous of my brother just cruising right across that slide.
