A Quick Rundown of a Snowshoe

The typical modern snowshoe consists of a lightweight aluminum frame with a platform made of a durable, forgiving fabric for flotation on the snow, a binding that affixes your foot to the snowshoe and a mechanism that allows the foot to move in a natural, free-heel stride, so that your gait is close to your normal walking or running motion.

Snowshoes also have metal talons (also called crampons or claws) on the bottom for traction. Snowshoes come with integrated bindings, so take a few moments to adjust the binding or strapping system to your footwear of choice and learn how the buckle system works.