Snowshoeing

[jessmarimba]

I got a pair of snowshoes for Christmas. I know that the bindings are supposed to pull to the outside, but they're much harder (with my limited back flexibility) to put on with the bindings to the outside and the heel strap hooking on the inside. Is there anything wrong with wearing them on the "wrong" foot? There doesn't seem to be anything else different about them.

[Crankin]

Are you sure your snow shoes aren't labeled right and left? Mine are, and it's hard for me to imagine that the shoe would fit on the "wrong foot." The bindings sound different from what I have, where you just loosen the strap on both sides (which can be done before you start putting them on), slide your foot in, and pull tight on both sides. When you have the strap tight, you snap down the little clamps on both sides and do the snap in the back. I find it easier to do sitting down, but I have done it standing, bending over, either on the trail or in the street.

[SadieKate]

Both pairs of my snowshoes have left/right specific bindings. They just wouldn't fit on my feet right, but your shoes may be designed differently.

[jessmarimba]

Crankin, they sound like that - the Atlas 800-series. Kinda just pull the loop for the top and then clip around the heel. But I can't hook the back clip without help if it hooks on the inside. The outside I can at least see what I'm doing to grab it.

My boots fit in either one normally.

They aren't marked. It might've said in the original instruction booklet, but I don't have that.

[DebW]

If the snowshoes are identical and you can strap in your boots to either snowshoes and have your foot line up properly on the snowshoe, then they will work either way provided the buckles or excess straps on the binding don't tangle in your other foot or catch on something. Also check that the pivots swing freely in either handedness. If your feet are naturally splayed or pigeon-toed, then your boots shouldn't be parallel to the snowshoe frame but at your natural walking angle with the snowshoe pointed straight forward.