There’s Always A Better Way. Foam Is Light, Strong, And Long-Lasting.
As a long-time, single-minded Nordic fanatic, snowshoeing used to seem pretty tame – kind of a melding of on-snow recreation and utility, with not much maneuverability and no glide.
Aging knees and mature perspective (or an approximation!) have changed this some, along with vast improvements in snowshoe materials and design, from wood-and-animal hides to aluminum-and-synthetics. Newer products aren’t as pretty as the natural materials, but they’re tougher, lighter, longer-lasting, have easily adjustable bindings, and come with metal crampons that can grip in crust and up (as well as down) hills. Also, rodents don’t chow down on them in summertime.
It’s always interesting to see how technology evolves. In the Nordic world, we’ve seen the introduction of groomed trails, synthetics in skis, skate skis, manmade clothing, waxless bases, boot/binding systems… All that’s led to more fun, faster skiing, better support, easier turns, warmer toes and tushies – virtually a different world.
And in snowshoeing, we may be seeing an equivalent revolution with the introduction of foam snowshoes: the Evas. (Thus far, the only foam manufacturer seems to be Crescent Moon Snowshoes in Colorado: www.crescentmoonsnowshoes.com.)
Got to be kidding, right? Foam? It’s gonna fall apart in the cold, crumble into small pieces under your weight.
Nope.
I’m a 195 pound guy who’s waded around wearing Evas in a foot of fresh Montana powder as well as heavier crud; managed a 180 degree jump (no good reason, I was just curiousJ); even backed up for a couple of yards without damaging self, ego, or equipment.
Among the things I like about these ‘shoes is the weight (3.5 pounds per pair); ease of movement (you can walk, you can run… and they feel like an elongated extension of your foot, due partly to a “rocker” design, plus they’re only 24 inches long); self-explanatory bindings; flotation (the entire base is in snow contact); good insulation from the snow below; and a lot more. Even sidestepping is easy; and the price is right at $159.
I’m also delighted by the Crescent Moon sense of humor, which describes the Evas as looking like “the love child of a running shoe and a burly snow tire.”
The Evas became available in 2018, so there’s been a chance to test their longevity – has to depend on amount of use and abuse, I suppose; but figure for most of us, several years. The one weakness I found initially was that the multiple plastic cleats and lugs didn’t grab as well as metal on crust, especially on sidehill. (On the other hand, I’ve slid sideways downhill on the old wood ‘shoes, and slipped on crust with modern metal/synthetic snowshoes too.) Happily, the company now gives you the option of inserting metal cleats, which takes just a couple of minutes.
I haven’t used the Evas in more than about 14 inches of fresh snow, but Crescent Moon suggests using them on trails rather than in deep snow. My guess is that it’s not good for the foam ‘shoes to step around on abrasive surfaces like sidewalks or road crossings (yep, done that with my aluminum snowshoes – not smart then either).
And if you have any questions or concerns, call owner Tanner Dunn at 303-494-550 and ask about… yes, plans for biodegradable snowshoes! I’ve suggested to Crescent Moon making them edible as well, so if you’re stuck in the woods you’d at least have a ready food source; but so far that hasn’t been incorporated into design. But ya never know!
