Choosing the Right Feet
by Rhonda Lake
Graphics reproduced with permission from “Snowshoeing”
by Gene Prater, ©1997 The Mountaineers, Seattle, Washington
My friend and snowshoe
guru, Mark “Sparky” Stensaas, marketing director of Duluth Pack, gave me
a useful primer of snowshoe basics:
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE / BACK TO RETURN
Styles:
Ojibwa (Cree) - Pointed, upturned toes define
this style. Great for busting brush and submarining up through crusty snow.
Common sizes are 12”x56” (100-200-lb. person) and 14x64 (200-300 lbs.).
Alaskan (Yukon) - Long, narrower shoes with
rounded, upturned toes. These are excellent traveling shoes in open country
with deeper snow. For large people or medium people with a backpack; 10x56
(150-250 lbs.).
Green Mountain (modified Bearpaws) - These
small shoes, rounded on both ends, facilitate turning, backing up and all-around
general maneuvering in tight places. Great for working in the sugar bush
or trapping. Stow nicely in the trunk or on a snowmobile. Smaller surface
area limits off-trail hiking to smaller people; 9x30 (50-120 lbs.) and
10x36 (100-180 lbs.).
Michigan (Beavertail, Maine) - This is a compromise
shoe with a medium surface area, rounded upturned toe and pointed tails.
Great all-around shoe; 11x46 (100-200 lbs.).
Wood vs. Aluminum:
Wood - More traditional and aesthetically
pleasing but requires some maintenance (annual revarnishing) and care in
the field (don’t bridge the shoes). Less expensive than aluminum, ranging
from $80 to $150. They come with either rawhide lacing (beautiful but keep
the mice away) or neoprene (frays with use but long-lasting).
Aluminum - Strong, light and expensive with
prices ranging from $120 to $260 (including bindings). First designed for
mountain travel on firm snowpack, these shoes tend to be smaller. Make
sure you buy shoes with enough surface area for your weight. Do not get
those cute tiny running snowshoes for overland use. … They are worthless
in powder.
Bindings:
Rubber step-ins - fast and easy to use but
UGLY. Great for kids. Sometimes not big enough for large Sorels or Lacrosse
Icemen boots.
A-style - These have a single toe cup that
once set for your feet are a slip-on affair. A heel strap holds your foot
snug. Leather or neoprene.
H-style - One strap over the toes, a heel
strap, and instep strap. Great feel and control of shoe but takes a bit
to get them on and off. If you get leather make sure it is a thick leather
to prevent stretching.
Trappers hitch - This old-timey binding is
actually tied with lampwick. Its claim to fame is that it is the only binding
you can kick off should you go through the ice.
Big or small, snowshoeing is an activity available to the whole family
that can take you to wonderous places during the months of winter.
Sparky’s lively history of the snowshoe in this region and around the world
can be found elsewhere on this website.
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