What Size of Snowshoes Do You Need?

Whenever winter comes, it’s always the season to pull out your skis, snowboards, and obviously, your snowshoes. Whether you consider yourself an avid outdoorsman or woman or if you live in or frequently visit locations where it frequently snows, it is important to have a pair of snowshoes in your closet. 

What Size Snowshoes do you Need

Many would argue that they don’t go skiing or prefer to stay indoors during winter, but to be honest, those are not good enough reasons to not have a pair of snowshoes.

Your Activity

Yes, your activity matters. In fact, this is the most important factor of all. Like many other types of footwear, your activities will determine the snowshoe you should get. Are you an active person in the winter? How important is the outdoors for you? But, even if you have tried to keep your outdoor activities to a minimum, it is still a good idea to purchase a pair of snowshoes to have on hand in the event you do venture out into the snow. If you are a highly active person who loves to jog and exercise, then you would want to get a snowshoe that fits close to your actual shoe size. But if you frequently venture into the mountains or do a lot of backwoods hiking this winter, you have to get a bigger one, ranged at 26-33 inches length. This bigger snowshoe will protect your feet while making it easier to conquer the terrain.

Bodyweight

You also can use your bodyweight as your guide to determine the correct size. In general, for every pound, a quarter-inch square is needed to hold the weight. No need to worry, some manufacturers already use bodyweight as their reference. All you need to do is adjust your snowshoe preference with your activities.

Preferences Do Matter

Unfortunately, snowshoes can’t be quite as fashionable or stylish as other types of footwear. It’s used based on utility, and the performance is their best value. However, you still can show your personality through your snowshoe choice. You have the option to get traditional or modern styles. The material used is what makes the difference.

Snowshoes have shifted from pure utility to something more fashionable. These new shoes probably won’t show up on the runways any time soon, but snowshoes sure have come a long way, now offering several more varieties than what are available two decades ago. Now you don’t have to worry about your snowshoe size. As long as you are following the general rule to fit your shoes based on body weight and activity, you know that you have plenty of options out there.

Conclusion

  • Every pound requires a quarter inch square of surface space to carry the load.
  • If your activities include running, opt for a shorter snowshoe. But if you often hike in deep snow, unlike running with a shorter snowshoe, more hiking in deep snow needs a longer snowshoe.

Now that you know how to pick the size of the snowshoe you need, look at our guide to find that perfect pair.

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