Anyone know about snowshoes?

I have a use for snowshoes today. I have to walk through some deep snow and my feet are going to get wet and then cold, very cold, but I'm going to deliver that pudding to that lady frostbite or no frostbite!

So after the toe transplant I'd like to buy snowshoes for days like today.

What snowshoes to buy? What boots to wear? Are snowshoes universal on what boot they'll attach to?

 

If you don’t care if they’re loud or not then any snowshoe, aluminum or wooden, will work. Aluminum shoes are louder and make a crunching sound especially in harder snow. Wooden are much quieter (although heavier) and work well for hunters. Any waterproof boot will work but ideally not a boot that is super stiff so that your foot can pivot when walking in the shoes. And most snowshoes can attach to any boot. You’re also going to have to learn to walk a little differently and spread your legs so that you don’t trip yourself up. I have some 36x10 wooden ll bean shoes and can walk on any surface regardless of depth/consistency of the snow.

If it’s just a one-time thing then just strap a couple tennis racquets to your feet

 

I'm not an expert but have done a fair amount of snowshoeing. First, I'd recommend having trekking poles with baskets or ski poles. Good to have the upper body do some work and poles are great for stability as well. As far as boots, I typically wear hiking boots while snowshoeing unless it's below 15 degrees or so. I would probably use an insulated boot if it's much colder than 15. As far as snowshoe recommendation, I prefer to use the smallest size-length possible for the snow conditions. Good to minimize the weight on your feet. The lighter and fluffier the snow, the bigger-longer the snowshoes you will need. 30" + shoes definitely have their place, but if you typically deal with heavier snow that is at least fairly compact, I'd go with something closer to 25".

Gaiters are great for keeping snow out of boots. Best to avoid denim jeans or cotton pants as snow will fling up from snowshoes, collect on your pants and melt.

The more expensive shoes have better features. Usually more durable and user friendly. Very important as well is that more expensive snowshoes have better traction, particularly when side hilling.

 

If you weigh over 2 bills then you want 30" Snowshoes, otherwise 25s are fine. Good advice above on poles as well. Amazon or LLbean can get you setup with that and keep you under the $150 mark.
If you're casual, once in a lifetime snowshoer then amazon will probably be the most affordable route. Hiking boots are fine. Gaiters might be a good idea unless you have some winter hikers in the 8"height realm

If you're looking to backcountry/alpine/etc then you're well into $400 for a performance setup.

 

Great advice, thanks everyone! Who knew a site called "Tundra" would know anything about walking on snow? LOL

I just want to get over to a client's house in conditions such as southern WV has right now.....about 10 inches of fluffy snow on top of a layer of ice. SMH.

I have a ton of ski poles as I used to teach ski lessons.

*Got the pudding delivered, the layer of ice in the middle of the snow kept me from sinking too deeply but my boots are not tall enough at all. Snow shoes would have been da bomb though!

 

For casual use the ones from Costco are pretty inexpensive and work really well.

 

Snow shoes are built for different terrain. The key factor is how they are made for climbing steep inclines. Most you see are meant for flat terrain and will struggle to go up, which may not be relevant in your case. The way the toe pivots inwards and how much bite that toe pivot point has determines if you can climb essentially.

Here most it is common to use insulated water proof boots like Boggs instead of traditional hiking boots with casual snow shoe usage, which I would recommend in general. There are technical snow hiking boots people use which usually are meant for crampons but can be used with snow shoes.

At least here it is actually easier to use “foot chains” over water proof boots in most conditions where snow is less than a few feet deep. The chains are easy to get on and off and drastically improve grip on ice and compact snow. Snow shoes are more for floating on deep snow, especially on fresh trails. Normally I hike with the foot chains then switch to snow shoes only when absolutely necessary.

 

After a slip and fall yesterday that surprisingly didn't seem to hurt me at all (butt then back landing) I went back in and put on my boot chains. Maybe next season I'll to put those on before a fall. SMH

Today was one of those rare days where I just had to walk over snowy terrain.....snowshoes would have been nice.