Snowshoes

Featured review by LoneStranger

New for Fall 2022, this is an early look at MSR's Lightning Trail snowshoes updated with new Paraglide bindings. A rugged, but lightweight shoe meant for rolling terrain. Great for folks who won't be climbing mountains and now easier to get on and off your feet.

  New shoes, old snow MSR has been making great snowshoes for a long time, but that doesn't stop them from trying to make them better. In recent years they have changed the bindings on their Lightning Ascent and Revo Ascent models to use what they have named the new Paragon binding. Employing a flexible mesh panel that wraps about the front of the foot they reduced the number of strap connections to two. Now they have taken that same approach to create the Paraglide bindings which will be coming to the Lightning Trail, Revo Trail, and Evo Trail shoes for Fall of '22.

Read more: MSR Lightning Trail reviews (2)

Featured review by Sheila Bergin Goss

I will review my shoes, the 24 inch model, but my husband has the 28 inch version, and his review is the same as mine...we love these snowshoes! We have found them a nice step-up from our older Tubbs models (Adventure 25 and Eclipse 30), and have been excellent in our uses this year, on varying terrain and snow conditions.

We snowshoe on sometimes steep and icy trails, and sometimes trails with unpacked or mushy snow. I have found the design and materials on these snowshoes to be excellent, and they have greatly increased my  confidence on tricky terrain,especially when traversing. The extended traction is wonderful,and an improvement from my old Tubbs, which had only toe crampons. The Flex Alps are light, and the binding system holds them securely...I have found no lateral "wiggle". The heel lift is also a feature new to us, and it seems like a nice advantage for some of our steep uphills.

Read more: Tubbs Flex ALP reviews (3)

Featured review by Hume Vance

I bought these this morning because after weeks of snow here in Boston they were the only snowshoes available at the local EMS store. I just went out for an hour and a half tromp in the woods. They passed the first test easily, which was whether I could secure my boots in the bindings. The adjustments both around the toes and on the strap that runs behind the heel were simple and straight-forward. The heel strap is made of some sort of rubberized material. You adjust it by stretching the strap over a metal prong.

Read more: Tubbs Flex TRK reviews (3)

Featured review by Jboothmtnbkr

Impressive hiking/backcountry snowshoe from long-time maker of snowshoes, Tubbs. Great weight-to-size/flotation with easy on and off buckling mechanism. Heel lift for extended climbing and fairly aggressive traction make for an enjoyable day hiking the snow covered trails here in Colorado.

I purchased these snowshoes in mid-January after it had been snowing quite a bit during December. But then it turned warm, unseasonably warm here in the Denver area with 50s-70s for the rest of January and early February. The place I had planned to christen them turned into a snow/mud trail so I kept waiting for the weather to turn back to winter.   Last weekend, a buddy of mine who is a volunteer with the U.S. Forest Service, and I met up to snowshoe the 5.5 mile out and back to Brainard Lake (northwest of Boulder).

Read more: Tubbs Wilderness Series reviews (7)

Reviewed by G00se

As a relative novice to snowshoeing, I found the Redfeather Hike to be easy to put on, natural to hike in, and comfortable. They outperformed the snowshoes I rented from REI.

Once a year, I get to attend a conference in Boulder, CO. Each year, the conference organizer (Tom) invites attendees to arrive a day early for a bit of snowshoeing in the front range of the Rockie Mountains. My first year, I rented snowshoes from the local REI (I'm sorry to say, I can't remember the brand). They were "okay," but were not easy to put on or adjust. The next year Tom loaned me a pair of 30" Redfeather Hike. I'm pretty much a novice, but Tom snowshoes regularly. He takes newbies out regularly, and the back of his truck is filled with 5 or 6 pairs of Readfeather Hike.

Read more: Redfeather Hike review (1)

Featured review by Utah Backpacker

About the only thing that would hurt these snowshoes is throwing them in a fire! They're made of bomb-proof, injection molded, high impact plastic and can take more abuse than anything I've seen. Best for on-trail hiking but be forewarned — plastic is LOUD, especially on a packed trail.

I like getting the cons out of the way first so I can go on and list all the really good stuff.  So, here you go... Con: These snowshoes are heavy. They're made of high impact, injection molded plastic, so once you put the shoe, the deck and the bindings all together, you're looking at over 3.5 pounds. Definitely not the lightest shoes out there... Con: Being made of plastic, they're also very loud on packed and icy trails — so loud in fact, it's difficult to hear your hiking partner over them.

Read more: MSR Evo Trail reviews (3)

Featured review by Mike Mineart

The MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoe is a very well designed go-anywhere snowshoe with a new Paragon binding design that lives up to its name. The Lightning Ascent's design has a number of aggressive features that really enable this snowshoe to be used confidently in the most challenging crusty and icy conditions. The new Paragon binding is simple to use and comfortable in use. This really is a great snowshoe option for someone looking for a durable design that can be used in any conditions.

Overview The MSR Lightning Ascents are positioned as MSR’s top of the line snowshoe with a focus on being an ultralight aggressive design that can be used in challenging technical terrain. The latest version of the Lightning Ascent now comes with MSR’s new Paragon binding which MSR claims to offer greater comfort and foot control.  The MSR Lightning Ascent is actually one of three models of the MSR Lightning snowshoe designs and I provide a brief comparison of the three models at the end of this review.

Read more: MSR Lightning Ascent reviews (25)

Reviewed by LoneStranger

Good all around shoe that excels in backcountry use. Fresh snow and off-trail adventuring benefit from the excellent float. Easy on and off with innovative one-handed binding.

The Gold 10 Backcountry snow shoes are part of a line by Crescent Moon, a Colorado company that has been at it since 1997. They manufacture a really wide variety of snowshoes there and have stayed on top of changing times and markets with the recently Trailspace Review Corps reviewed EVA All Foam shoe. The Gold 10s are a more traditional shoe, but with some unique innovative twists. Specs: Weight 5.43 lbs / pair on my scale Dimensions: About 31" long and 10.5" at the widest point 6063 Aluminum tube with polyurethane deck Bindings: Let’s start here because that is where the snowshoeing starts and ends.

Read more: Crescent Moon Big Sky review (1)

Featured review by Jack Melito

Northern Lites still offers the Backcountry for $240. I've had mine for years, and agree they are one of the lightest and easiest to use in the backcountry. The only model that's better for bantam weight folks is their Elite (8x25) if and only if you are under 175 lbs with a backpack!

For more aggressive slopes, I'd love a pair of their Predator series, which replaces their aluminum cleats with steel in more places. But the overall Northern Lites build is the same...much lighter frame than other brands, plastic edge clamps that both provide some extra traction and keep the decking material from wearing through where it wraps around the frame. The strap system is sturdy though takes practice if you don't want to take gloves off, but once you're in they track well and are easy to walk in.

Read more: Northern Lites Backcountry reviews (2)

Reviewed by Alex Fisher

This is a great shoe when you use it for what its made for -- running. I am an avid runner and I decided I would try out a pair of these "running snowshoes" that everyone was talking about. They were definitely worth the price. They have one of the fastest binding systems and have a very aggressive bottom. The first time I strapped them on I did not even know they were on my feet. They are as light as a feather and are great. I would just recommend not bringing them to the mountain with you.

Read more: Crescent Moon Yellowstone review (1)