How to Buy Snowshoes for Women: A Complete Guide
Many ways to get outside and enjoy nature during winter exist. Most people like snowboarding or skiing, laying down clean turns on a hardpack, or charting lines through trees. Others enjoy the physical exertion or rhythm of cross-country skiing, quickly moving on a snowy track, driven by their power.
One of the most contemplative and beautiful ways of enjoying nature during winter is simply taking a trek through snowy woods.
Snowshoes offer a perfect way to see the world around you during winter, which provides an unfamiliar setting. The tracks of rabbits, bears, and deer crisscross your path. Green pines hold a subtle sugar dusting on their boughs. Winding trails are buried beneath a snow blanket. For sure, it’s an unfamiliar setting.
Snowshoeing is not as extreme of a workout as Nordic skiing. Also, it isn’t as technical as ice climbing. It’s one of the most enjoyable winter activities for everyone, thanks to its simplicity.
You’ll only find snowshoeing a simple and easy winter activity if you purchase the right snowshoes. Purchasing a new pair can seem complicated. Different sizes, features, constructions, and binding styles are available to pick from.
Want to buy snowshoes for women? This comprehensive guide will help you determine the perfect pair of snowshoes. The right pair will enable you to get outside and experience the beauty of winter without any limitations.
Types of Snowshoes for Women:
Snowshoes for women are pretty versatile by nature. However, most of them are designed and created with a specific terrain or activity in mind. You should take a moment to address what you’re trying to find before jumping down the rabbit hole of searching for the right pair of snowshoes.
Where do you enjoy trekking during winter? What type of conditions do you think you will be up against? Have a specific terrain in mind? You will need to have a different type of snowshoe if you are hiking in mountainous terrains than you might need on a flat, packed trail. Each model is designed for one of these winter activities and terrains:
1. Rolling Variable Terrain and Day Trekking:
Want to disappear into a whole day of deep snowdrift and off-trail escapade? Listen up! You need to find snowshoes that come with beefier binding systems and more aggressive crampons. These snowshoe models are ideal for everything apart from the iciest and steepest terrain.
2. Flat Terrain and Trail Walking:
Want to buy snowshoes for women at a beginner or intermediate level? Go for the most basic snowshoes designed for recreational use. A pair of snowshoes in this category will be a perfect match for you if you want to explore a flat or moderately rolling terrain or a groomed snow-packed trail. These snowshoes:
- Come at a friendly price
- Feature easy-to-use bindings
- Have less aggressive traction.
3. Steep, Mountainous Terrain or Overnights:
You need something a little more advanced if you want to explore steep, mountainous terrain or engage in overnights. Models designed for this terrain come with aggressive bindings and crampons.
That means they’ll serve you perfectly on scary descents and icy slopes. Most of these models come with heel lifts to help with steep ascents. This a feature that women really appreciate as it makes a massive difference in the expenditure of energy during climbing.
What to Look for When You’re Out to Buy Snowshoes for Women?
Two things are important when purchasing snowshoes for women. These are heel lifts and tapered designs. These features help women to avoid forcing their legs to walk further apart than they need to.
Your knees and hips shouldn’t be sore the next day. Heel lifts pop up and support your boot heels, enabling gastrocnemius muscles to do their job perfectly, which is gaining ground.
1. Sizing and Fit:
It is vital to consider both the weight load and terrain while selecting the size, design, and shape of your snowshoes. In fact, you should choose a model that can actually perform quite well in advanced terrains that you can expect to come across. If you plan to rendezvous regularly with dry or deep snow, then look for a long and wide shoe, i.e., a show with a large surface area.
On top of that, if you plan on staying on the packed trails, a relatively large surface area might be an overkill. So, just look out for anything that is more compact.
The other important factor that you need to consider is the weight load. Typically, you step on the scale accompanied by minimal clothing, but you are probably not hiking in that attire during winter or the lack of it.
Since mittens, hats, scarves, and winter coats are topped with a big bag of snacks and water to help you throughout the whole day, ensure that you are fully equipped for your trek and select your shoes accordingly. (185)
2. Floatation Trails:
Some snowshoes come with the added option of extra flotation tails. These easily attach to the back end of your shoe and offer another six to five inches of length. These can easily increase the load capacity of snow shoes by 70 to 60 pounds, improving your floatation drastically.
This is an idea to have for treks where you are going to explore remote terrains with deep snow. Wearing a snowshoe that comes with tails indicates that you can easily expand the uses of each pair. Also, leave the tails off for simpler days on intermediate or beginner trails, putting them on for longer trips and deeper snow with a heavy load.
Where to Buy Snowshoes for Women?
Many stores, both physical and online, offer snowshoes for women. If you cannot be sure to find the perfect pair, TSL Outdoor can be a lasting solution for your snowshoe problem. TSL Outdoor is a French company.
Its area of specialization is the design and creation of outdoor equipment. It mainly offers hiking poles and snowshoes that utilize the latest technologies. The company designs and creates high-quality products. These products adapt to various activities and terrains. Also, they come with much-needed traction and flotation in snow.
Do Women Specifically Need Snowshoes?
While we are currently focusing on female-specific models for this particular review, remember that women can wear unisex or men’s shoes and even vice versa. If the length is fine with your weight load and the bindings are the right for you, then you are definitely good to go.
To be honest, the differences in the shoe design are relatively more about bone structure, weight, and height than your sex.
The primary difference with a woman’s shoes is that all the bindings tend to be relatively smaller to accommodate a petite foot, while the shape of the frame is typically narrower and often comes with a tapered tail that allows for a relatively narrower gait.
But maybe you are just a woman with wide hips and large feet or a man with a small foot size and frame. It’s fine – don’t let marketing dictate your decisions more than necessary.
Instead, try checking out the measurements as well as design features to think practically about your specific needs for your individual body type.
Moreover, if you love a certain pair of shoes, then don’t think too much, and just buy it already – don’t forget to let us know about your experience.
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