Snowshoes have been around for a while, 4,000 to 6,000 years ago kind of old. People in Central Asia were the ones who first came up with the idea of using rawhide stretched over hardwood to make the earliest snowshoes. Those old-fashioned ones were pretty tough, but they were nowhere near as good as the ones we have now. Today's snowshoes are much lighter, provide better traction, and are more comfortable to wear.
Believe it or not, the idea for snowshoes came from observing the large footprints of animals like the snowshoe hare. People figured out that by spreading their weight out over a bigger area, they could walk on top of snowdrifts instead of sinking in. This made it easier to work and hunt during the winter months.
Despite all the fancy modern gear available to us, snowshoeing is still a popular winter activity. It's the best way to hike in snowy conditions, hands down. Even though snowshoes have come a long way since their humble beginnings, they still represent the ingenuity of ancient humans who invented tools that still work today. Our full women's snowshoes review discusses all the women-specific models we tested in depth.
Do You Really Need Them?
Why do you need snowshoes when you already have winter boots and crampons? Let's consider a snowshoe hare for a moment. You might be OK if your feet are the same size as theirs. However, if you have human-sized feet like most people, you need more than boots with crampons. They provide excellent traction on icy terrain and packed snow trails but could be more effective on fresh, deep snow. Walking on deep snow without snowshoes is unpleasant and tiring.
Snowshoes provide excellent traction on uneven and icy terrain. Their wide surface area, generally 4-5 times larger than a hiking boot, helps you stay on top of deep snow. This combination allows winter hikers to explore packed trails and unchartered territory into fresh snowfall, making it an outdoor enthusiast's dream. However, snowshoes may be overkill if you live in an area that only regularly gets up to six inches of powder at a time before melting off.
You might be wondering about using skis, snowboards, or split boards. These are excellent options for navigating snowy backcountry terrain but require considerable knowledge. Also, they need skins to be more helpful on a steep uphill trek. On the other hand, snowshoes are meant more for avid hikers who want more opportunities to hike in winter landscapes. Finding the perfect pair will make your stride more natural than on a split board or skis. Plus, they are much cheaper.
Types of Snowshoes
Snowshoes are pretty versatile by nature, but most are designed with a specific activity or terrain in mind. Before you jump down the rabbit hole of researching the perfect shoe, take a moment to address what you are trying to accomplish. Where do you enjoy hiking? What kind of conditions do you think you'll be up against? Do you have a specific terrain in mind? If you are trying to hike Everest, you will surely be using a different style of snowshoe than you might use walking on a flat packed trail around an alpine lake. Generally speaking, each model is geared toward one of the following:
Flat Terrain and Trail Walking
These are your most basic snowshoes geared toward recreational use at a beginner to intermediate level. If you plan to stay on flat to moderately rolling terrain or groomed snow-packed trails, this is a great category for you. These models have less aggressive traction, easy to use bindings, and are usually sold at a lower price point.
Rolling Variable Terrain and Day Hiking
If you plan to disappear into a day of deep snowdrift and off-trail adventure, listen up. These models are a step up from the last category and are suitable for everything except the steepest and iciest terrain. Expect them to come equipped with more aggressive crampons and beefier binding systems.
Steep, Mountainous Terrain or Overnights
Are you looking to hike as far up and out as you can? Are you in search of the kind of quiet that only the backcountry can provide? Or maybe you're searching for the most stunning views to photograph? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you'll need something a little more advanced. These models have the most aggressive crampons and bindings, and they will serve you well on icy slopes and scary descents. Many of these shoes come with heel lifts to aid with steep ascents — a feature that makes a huge difference in energy expenditure when climbing.
Owning this kind of snowshoe will mean you have the technical features for advanced snow travel but will, in most cases, still be able to enjoy beginner to intermediate terrain with ease. These models are also great if you are a skier or snowboarder seeking out that perfectly secluded run. Just realize that such outings will require additional training to stay safe in mountaineering and avalanche terrain.
Trail Running
Trail runners don't have to quit for the winter season any more than hikers do, thanks to snowshoes designed specifically for running. These models are created with speed, agility, and ease of stride in mind. They are often lightweight and have a tapered tail to clear snow more efficiently. Most models function best on groomed trails and are an excellent way to extend your race training to a four-season activity.
To get a glimpse into how we tested each pair of shoes and in what kind of terrain, be sure to read our How We Test article.
Anatomy of a Snowshoe
To help you make a decision about what type of snowshoe matches your recreation goals, we've outlined a Snowshoe Anatomy 101 to highlight the features and materials that make up a modern-day snowshoe.
Frame
Snowshoe frames have come a long way from being wooden oblong ovals to being slender ergonomic designs. Nowadays, most frames are made from lightweight metal and composite plastic. The frame's shape and surface area directly determine the shoe's ability to float in deep snow. As a general rule, wider and more oval shapes provide better flotation. Narrower and tapered frames make walking and maintaining a normal gait easier, but it's important to keep in mind that less surface area means less float.
Ideally, snowshoes should perform well in both areas. Women-specific frames or shoes made for running often have a more pronounced taper to accommodate a narrower stride. If you're looking for speed, seek out a narrow design with a tapered tail. If you're a beginner or plan to hike in deep snow, look for designs with a wider tail or oval shape. You should also keep an eye out for shoes with optional flotation tails, which offer the best of both worlds. The snowshoe frame is much smaller, but if you find yourself needing a little more float, you can slip on the tails for additional surface area.
Decking
Decking is the material that stretches between the frame of a snowshoe. Its main purpose is to provide float. In the past, rawhide was commonly used for decking. It was either woven into a lattice or made into panels, giving snowshoes that classic tennis-racket look. Today, modern-day decking has replaced the woven lattice with solid panels, which provide better float. When solid decking was first introduced, people thought that the holes in the lattice were necessary to keep snow from collecting on top of the shoe. However, it has been proven that solid decking also clears away snow effectively, although some designs are better at this than others.
Contemporary decking is made of various materials such as plastic, polyurethane, neoprene, synthetic leather, rubber, and composite materials like polyurethane coated with nylon. These materials are sturdy, cold-tolerant, and require less maintenance than natural materials like rawhide. Some snowshoe designs have a single piece of molded plastic that makes up both the frame and decking as one integrated unit. These models tend to be quite loud as the plastic is more solid and brittle.
Crampons and Traction Systems
Traction is generated by a series of crampons and/or spiked railing found on the underside of the snowshoe. These features can be constructed from plastic (not recommended), aluminum, or steel (ideal), but traction systems vary widely. As we mentioned earlier, it is best to take a moment to decide what kind of terrain you are looking to tackle. Advanced slopes will require a much burlier system than groomed packed trails. On the flip side, if you do not plan on hiking steep icy hillsides, the unnecessary traction causes unwanted stick on more tame terrain.
The traction components that a shoe may or may not come equipped with include the following:
CramponsCrampons are an essential part of any snowshoe that provide traction. They come in various shapes and sizes and are usually located under the toe or around the ball of the foot. Since they are placed under the binding system, they pivot with your foot's movement, allowing you to walk securely with each step. Some models designed for climbing or descending steep terrain may also have a crampon at the heel of the foot, often in a V-shape, or an enlarged toe pick..
Side Rails
Also known as traction bars, side rails run down the length of each shoe to provide extra grip and more lateral stability when traversing icy slopes. They look like little spiked teeth and can make a huge difference when navigating dicey terrain.
Braking Bars
Breaking bars are sometimes found on snowshoes made with plastic decking to prevent any backsliding and to help with overall traction. They generally run perpendicular to the side rails.
Heel Lifts
Snowshoes geared toward ascending steep terrain are often equipped with a heel lift. This stiff wire bail can be flipped up under the heel when climbing up hills to alleviate calf strain and overall muscle exhaustion.
Bindings
When it comes to snowshoes, bindings are what keep your feet securely attached to them, much like skis and snowboards. Women-specific models are designed with smaller feet in mind, but bindings can usually accommodate a wide range of footwear and foot sizes. However, it's important to carefully examine the bindings. If you have tiny feet or plan to wear minimal shoes, make sure the binding isn't too roomy or unable to tighten from all angles.
On the other hand, if you're planning to wear your snowboard boots for hiking in the backcountry, make sure the bindings are flexible and can fully open up to accommodate them. Toe caps, which provide added security, may not work well with very large or very small footwear. Measuring the length, width, and height of your boots and contacting the manufacturer to ensure a proper fit before buying can be helpful. Most bindings are composed of traditional systems of straps, ratchets, or buckles. However, some new technologies are widespread among other winter sports like skiing and snowboarding. Several snowshoe models now offer a BOA binding system which uses a dial-based mechanism to tighten and loosen the binding on your foot.
There are two ways to mount bindings on a snowshoe: using a fixed rotation system or a free/floating rotation (also known as full) system. In a fixed rotation system, the tail of the shoe closely follows the movement of your heel, allowing the shoe to mimic the natural movement of your foot. This makes it easier to navigate obstacles and is better for packed trails and running. It also makes backing up easier because the tail is less likely to get stuck. However, in deep snow, fixed rotation is not ideal because snow that falls onto the tail can get flipped up onto the back of your legs, which is not only annoying but also increases energy expenditure. If the snow is wet and your pants aren't waterproof, you can end up getting soaked.
Free, floating, or full rotation bindings can, as the name implies, freely rotate around an axle under the ball of your foot. This allows the tail of the snowshoe to stay closer to the ground — it will drag instead of flip up — which means you will expend far less energy when walking through deep snow. Steep ascents are also easier because the tail can stay parallel to the terrain, thus opening up the toe claw for more effective gripping. It is harder to access your crampons on steep hills with fixed rotation. The downside of this design is that the tail will drag behind you when you are on packed trails, which can be loud and feel cumbersome. Backing up is also considerably trickier and requires more precise attention to your movements to not get stuck and trip.
We tested each model across different terrain, and while you can use a fixed binding in deep snow and a free binding on a packed trail, you will have much more fun if you are using the right shoe for the job.
Flotation Tails
Some snowshoe models offer an optional feature of added flotation tails that can be attached to the back end of the snowshoe. These tails provide an additional length of around five to six inches, which can significantly enhance the snowshoes' load capacity by 60 to 70 pounds and improve your flotation. This feature is especially useful for people who go on trips to remote areas where they need to carry a larger backpack and tackle deeper snow.
When you have a snowshoe with detachable tails, it means you can use the same pair of snowshoes for different purposes. You can take off the tails for easy to moderate trails and put them on when you venture out into deeper snow or for longer trips with heavier loads.
Sizing and Fit
It is important to consider both the terrain and weight load when choosing your snowshoes' size, shape, and design. You should select a model that can perform well in the most advanced terrain you expect to encounter. If you regularly plan to rendezvous with deep or very dry snow, then look for a wide and long shoe (i.e., it has a larger surface area dimension). On the other hand, if you plan to stay on packed trails, a larger surface area may be a little overkill, so look for something more compact.
When selecting snowshoes for your winter hike, it's important to consider the weight load you will be carrying. You typically step on the scale wearing minimal clothing, but during a winter hike, you will likely be wearing heavier clothing such as a coat, scarf, hat, and mittens, in addition to carrying a bag filled with water and snacks. To ensure that you choose the right size of snowshoe, it's important to weigh yourself while wearing all of your winter gear and with your backpack fully loaded. Once you have your weight, you can then choose the appropriate length of snowshoe for your needs.
Are Women's Specific Snowshoes Necessary?
Although we are reviewing shoes specifically designed for women, it's worth noting that women can also wear shoes meant for men or unisex shoes, and vice versa. As long as the shoe fits well, supports your weight, and has appropriate bindings, you should be good to go. The differences in shoe design are primarily determined by height, weight, and bone structure.
Women's shoes are different from men's shoes in that they have smaller bindings to fit a more petite foot. The frame shape is also narrower, often with a tapered tail, to accommodate a narrower gait. However, it's important to note that you should not let marketing dictate what you buy. Consider the measurements and design features of the shoes and think practically about what your specific needs are, based on your unique body type. For example, if you're a woman with large feet and wide hips or a man with a small frame and foot size, choose shoes that will be comfortable and suitable for you.
Accessories
Once you have purchased your snowshoes, there are some fun accessories you may want to consider purchasing.
Snowshoe BagsMost manufacturers make bags specifically designed to fit their snowshoes. These bags will often have space or features to store tails and trekking poles. A well-designed bag will also be ventilated to ensure that everything can dry properly, meaning you can store everything in your bag over the long term.
GaitersGaiters are like sleeves for your lower leg and foot. They attach near the knee and clip down at the bottom of your foot to help keep snow and other debris out of your boot. If you tend to end up with wet socks when out hiking in the snow, gaiters could make a world of difference for you and your feet.
Trekking Poles
Trekking poles help distribute the weight of each step you take, using more of your body and taking excess strain off the legs and knees. They can also help with balance and stability on tricky terrain, especially if you have full rotation bindings. If you're not convinced, have a look at our article on the top ten reasons for using trekking poles. Then, if you ARE convinced and want help choosing your poles, check out our Best Trekking Pole Review.
That just about covers Snowshoe Basics 101. We hope this article has answered all your questions about snowshoes and will help you find your perfect fit. Happy (snow-filled) trails!
