Snowshoes for women

Although skiing and snowboarding may be the most high-profile winter sports, snowshoeing is gaining in popularity, especially among women, according to the Outdoor Industry Assn., a trade group for equipment manufacturers and retailers. To keep up with demand, San Francisco-based Atlas Snow-Shoe Co. has spent two years developing snowshoes specially designed for a woman’s narrower stride and stance.

Elektra 8 and 10 series: Although the shoes have arch supports and comfortable, easy-to-use bindings, the question remains: Do women actually need special snowshoes? Perhaps, says Ingrid Middaugh, a 26-year-old amateur snowshoe racer from Vail, Colo. She had not heard of the new Atlas series, but said, “I have three different brands of unisex snowshoes, and with all of them, I kick myself in the calf with the tail of the shoe and I end up with bruises on the backs of my calves. I figured that was just part of snowshoeing, but my husband snowshoes, and I’ve never seen him do that.”

Price: $169 to $249. Available at Sport Chalet stores, through the Title Nine Sports catalog, and online at www.rei.com. To visit the Atlas Web site, go to www.atlassnowshoe.com.

-- Jeannine Stein