Climbing boots and crampons

For those who don't climb and don't appreciate the distinction between hiking shoes and climbing boots, a brief but informative note.

Here is a picture of my ice climbing boot with crampon attached. In this photo you can see the dual front points. The yellow part is just the forefoot of the crampon - it is the attachment point for the toe bail, which is the curved wire part that locks over the toe rand of the boot. The metal strip that runs up over the toe is a guide for the nylon strap. The strap is really just there to keep the crampon from falling off if it pops off the rand of the boot.Here you can see the entire boot. It is a heavy, stiff boot with insulation, and a very thick, stiff sole (or rand). The crampon attaches via the toe bail and the heel lever. The plastic piece hooked over the heel rand locks on with a levering action, and thus attaches the crampon very firmly to the boot.
As you might imagine, these allow one to walk effortlessly across slick ice, and also to climb relatively effortlessly up vertical ice.