So far I’ve not had this problem of snow accumulating under my Diamond Grip traction devices (sold by Yak Trax, available through various sources online). These are the ones that fit over your boots, with steel cables strung with special hardened steel beads with diamond-shaped sharp edges. I’ve used these for years, and have gone hundreds of miles with them, often in soft snow at the temperatures where it sticks together.
Diamond Grips are effective for hiking in icy conditions, across frozen trails, lumpy and smooth ice, frozen creeks, lakes, etc. They’re not perfect, and they lose some of their effectiveness after lots of use. The beads gradually become less sharp - avoid long treks across rocks. They do a good job with few problems, as long as you are reasonable and don’t push your luck. At my age they are essential for winter travel on icy trails.
I have had the problem with ice balling on snowshoes, mostly on the metal claws. The balls of ice become hard and are very difficult to break up. They can grow to several inches in diameter, and they can hurt your ankles if you continue to walk on them for long.
The conditions that cause the ice balls to form are when the air is at or below freezing, usually in the shade, and the snow is still soft and wet from being in the sun earlier. This is usually in late afternoon on a sunny day. Some snowshoes have the problem more than others, depending on the shape and metal used for the claws.
Hopefully others can offer cures for this problem, because it’s a real worry when conditions start the process of icing. Kicking the ice off early helps, but it’s awkward and frustrating.
So far I haven’t experienced this icing with Diamond Grips. I suspect it’s because the chains and beads are mostly plated steel, which conducts heat poorly, compared to the aluminum used on some snowshoe claws.
Perhaps some of the remedies described here might work for snowshoes. Snowshoes are often manufactured with sheet plastic covering parts of the metal claws.
73 and Happy Snow Hiking!
George
KX0R