When the blizzard has passed, the sun is out, and you’re tired of being cooped up indoors, a pair of snowshoes will let you hike your favorite trail or stroll in your backyard without sinking knee-deep in a couple of feet of snow.
By spreading your weight over their greater surface area, snowshoes keep your feet from punching through the snowpack.
So if you’d like to be more active in the wintertime, either in spite of—or because of—the snow, we recommend the MSR Evo Trail Snowshoes, which are short enough and light enough for you to strap to your bag if and when the terrain changes and you no longer need them. (And this happens a lot.)
Our pick
Well-built and lightweight, the Evo pair can take a lot of abuse and doesn’t cost a fortune.
For most people looking to take a winter walk in snowy landscapes, the MSR Evo Trail Snowshoes are a fantastic choice.
They fit a wide range of footwear thanks to heavy-duty straps that keep boots securely attached, and they’re more durable than any cheaper option.
These work best on snow that is firm or already packed down, and that’s the terrain we think the majority of people will be using their snowshoes on.
Also great
The Tubbs snowshoes are available in lengths that support a larger range of weights and float easier on softer snow.
The Tubbs snowshoes are available in lengths that support a larger range of weights and float easier on softer snow.
If you weigh more than 180 pounds, a longer snowshoe will give you better float, and the Tubbs Xplore comes in several lengths—21 and 25 inches in the women’s sizes and 25 and 30 inches in the men’s sizes—specifically for that purpose. (Our top pick, in comparison, is 22 inches long.)
Additionally, if you are the type who enjoys a leg-burning slog in freshly fallen powder (we see you), a longer shoeshoe is a better design for traversing fluffy, untouched flakes. Much like a boat on water, longer shoes do a better job of keeping you afloat on top of the snowpack.
