NANETTE V I think this is dependent upon two things: 1) the weight of the person .....obviously, a 200 lb person is putting a lot more pressure on the cord than a 100 lb person. 2) how the items are stored. Since its siiicon, if not stored properly over the summer (or the winter even), you could easily experience some cracking. I know silicon protects against this for the most part, but its not invincible. These are a great alternative to nothing when you walk on snowy surfaces with potential of ice underneath. If you are a serious hard core demanding person, you may want to consider the Kahtoola microspikes. Now, those are designed for serious wear and tear, but you can easily damage floors with these things, and they could easily harm the wearer if you err in putting them on your shoe! So, its a toss up. The Yaktrax are probably great for the average person, but if its some serious mileage in questionable conditions on a heavy basis, you may want to purchase the microspikes instead.