Atlas Run Snowshoes Review

Winter running anyone? While most snowshoes are optimized for hiking through the woods, the Atlas Run (and Atlas Race) snowshoes are made for trail running in the snow. It’s been fun playing around on the trails in American Fork Canyon, Utah with these running snowshoes.

About the Atlas Run Snowshoes

Atlas is one of the few snowshoe makers that produces a running-specific snowshoe. The aptly-named Run model is the everyman’s running snowshoe for runners up to 220 lbs. Here’s what Atlas has to say about the Run:

The Run snowshoe is the perfect tool for running enthusiasts to get away from the grind of traffic and stay fit and active when the trails are covered in snow. The crisscross design of the Run binding cinches with one pull and keeps your foot secure without extra weight, and the lightweight aluminum toe and heel crampons provide perfect traction without drag. Spring-Loaded™ Suspension provides deeper penetration of the toe crampon for extra push, and SLS allows natural articulation of the foot for a comfortable running stride.

Atlas Run Features:

• Spring-loaded suspension
• VFrame design
• Nytex decking
• Twin-Trac™ toe crampon
• Heel cleat
• Running-specific binding for natural stride
• Length: 22-inches
• Surface Area: 134 square inches
• Load: 75-190+ lbs (up to 220 lbs on packed trails)
• Weight: 2.71 lbs (pair)
• MSRP: $200

Atlas Run Snowshoes Review

Adding snowshoe running to my myriad of Winter-time exercise options has been fun. While I prefer running on hardpacked trails with trail running shoes, the Atlas Run snowshoes allow you to run efficiently on softer trails. Admittedly, I’m no snowshoeing expert, so this is really a review from a newbie just getting the hang of snowshoe running.

The Run snowshoes are very light-feeling with an effective binding system. Without any fuss, I was able to slip my Montrail Mountain Masochist GTX trail runners into the bindings. The Z-shaped forefoot strap was easy to cinch with a single pull of the strap. Excess strap tucked neatly into the provided O-ring loop on the bottom strap. Pulling the rubber heel attachment snugly in place is also super-easy.

The result of the running-specific binding is a secure and natural-feeling stride for running. My feet always felt secure and comfortable throughout my runs.

I felt the Atlas Run snowshoes provided just the right size for running with a slightly shorter stride than usual. When I stretched out my stride to a more typical running stride, the back of the snowshoe would whack my ankles–quickly reminding me to shorten up. Once I found the ideal stride, I felt supported and comfortable on hardpacked and semi-packed trails.

When venturing into the untracked trails (10-12″ new snow), these shoes met their match as the surface area just isn’t enough to keep you on top. At a walking stride, trudging through untracked snow wasn’t so bad, but if that’s your intention for these shoes, I’d look elsewhere as these are made for running on mostly-packed trails.

Once you find the right type of snowpack, you can really get a killer running workout with these snowshoes. I ran on mostly-packed trails with a few inches of new snow and they performed just dandy. Should you be breaking trail, you won’t be doing much running in these.

Good Run

• Extremely-light and efficient
• Binding system is optimized for running
• Bindings are comfortable and easy-to-cinch
• One of the few running-specific snowshoes on the market

Bad Run

• Running-specific design makes them a less ideal for hiking
• Need to find the right trail conditions to actually run in these
• A lot of snow will fly around behind as you run, so zip all pockets, etc.

Bottom Line: Atlas Run Snowshoes

Running-specific snowshoes are a rare breed, but the Atlas Run snowshoes are fun and efficient if you can find the right type of trail conditions in your area.

Buy Now: Find Atlas Snowshoes at REI