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The Best Boots for Snowshoeing

by Jill Schuman | January 04, 2016 | 0 Comments

Snowshoeing Boots

Have you ever been snowshoeing before?

If you prefer to walk the snow trails, snowshoeing is a very easy and enjoyable way to get outside during the snowy winter days.  Snowshoes easily strap to your boots to allow for easier travel over snow and ice by spreading your weight over a larger surface area. All you need is a sense of adventure and good boots. If you can walk you can snowshoe.

To ensure a warm, dry, and enjoyable snowshoe experience, it's best to choose boots with the following five features.

A Sturdy, Non-compressible Upper

Snowshoe bindings should fit tightly and securely to prevent your footwear from shifting around as you move. Cinching the binding straps tightly helps accomplish this, but it can also exert considerable pressure across the top of your footwear. If the upper portion of your footwear is soft and compressible over the instep or across the front of your feet, this can impede circulation—and result in some unpleasantly chilled toes.  

A Stiff Sole

As a general rule, the stiffer the boot, the better. This helps reduce the amount of energy you'll expend snowshoeing. Why? You won't waste energy flexing your footwear inside the binding, which can lead to fatigue in your foot muscles, and can instead focus your energy on moving forward.

Waterproof Materials

If your shoes get wet and soak through, your feet are in for a soggy and chilling experience. Footwear with a Gore-Tex lining (or its equivalent) work well, as do winter boots with waterproof rubber around the lower half of the boot.

Warm Insulation

You can wear hiking boots or other non-insulated footwear, but your feet are more likely to get cold as a result. Most winter boots feature a toasty layer of insulation for warmth, a significant plus. If you do wear non-insulated footwear, consider purchasing a pair of neoprene covers to go over the boots to add additional warmth.

Secure Fit

As with any footwear, a good fit is arguably the single-most important feature. Your feet should not move side-to-side nor slip up and down as you snowshoe, which can both rapidly fatigue your feet and lead to painful blisters.

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