Snowshoes
Snowshoes
Snowshoes are ideal for hiking and touring in the snow. Important when buying a snowshoe is the central question: Where do you want to snowshoe? Snowshoes for flat terrain are constructed differently than those for steep terrain.
Basically, there are two types of construction. Classic snowshoes consist of a tubular frame with stringing. This construction gives the snowshoe a lot of buoyancy in soft snow. Plastic snowshoes (Moderns) consist of a solid frame and usually have a smaller, narrower bearing surface. Thanks to this design, the snowshoes are robust, light and manoeuvrable. Classic snowshoes are mostly suitable for flat terrain with soft snow. Plastic snowshoes are ideal for tours on winter hiking trails, alpine terrain or in icy or low-snow conditions.
The steeper the terrain, the more grip your snowshoe needs. Many snowshoes are equipped with crampons for this purpose. Prongs underneath your boot provide traction on hard snow or ice and allow for easier traversing. Traction bars provide even more grip. For steep slopes, a climbing aid offers you a more balanced stance. It is usually found as a folding bar under the heel.
Snowshoes have a binding that secures your boot with a strap or ratchet system. Strap bindings are suitable for soft footwear and are therefore ideal for flat terrain. They fix your foot well without restricting it too tightly. Ratchet bindings are suitable for steeper terrain. They are comfortable to use, offer a good grip and allow you to put them on and take them off quickly.
When choosing a snowshoe, the shoe size is not decisive, as the bindings hold different shoe sizes. What is crucial is the size of the snowshoe. This is usually given in inch length. Some manufacturers also indicate it as S, M or L. Your body weight including equipment always serves as a guide. If you weigh less than 70 kg, shoes with a length of up to 22 inches will fit. If you weigh between 70 and 100 kg, we recommend lengths of up to 25 inches. If you weigh more than 100 kg, lengths of around 30 inches are ideal.