Snowshoe review : Trying out different running snowshoes

disclaimer: As I have said in prior posts, these are my opinions and my opinions only that I have made from my experiences concerning product reviews. I am no expert nor claim to be one when it comes to snowshoes and snowshoe running. I do however get out there 6 days a week day or night and will tell you what I think. Keep in mind that everyone is different in terms of size and running style and what is not good for me may be great for you.

I finally got my new Dion Running/Racing snowshoes last night a few weeks ago.
I have used them doing solid groomer hill repeats, on powder runs , on snowmobile tracks and 1 race that was a mix of loose single track and groomers. They seem to be some solidly built shoes utilizing some good materials.

I purchased them from ORS Direct who had the best price I could find. I got the: 121 frames, "quick fit" bindings and "deep Cleats"

I have been using the Atlas Runs which are Atlas heavier running shoe and is also heavier than the Dions. The Atlas Race is very similar to the Atlas Run and is lighter than both. The runs have been great for me. Their size has allowed me to run with a natural gait and they have performed surprisingly well in many conditions.

The 121 Dions, Atlas Runs & Atlas Race/Superlights

Right off the bat I did not like how the Dion heel strap was set to ride high on the heel. With the Atlas I am able to set it low and the rubbery strap stays low on the shoe. This is especially important to me as I have been having problems with an aggravated Achilles tendon at the insertion. The Dions did not help this. I am sure a lot of thought went into the orientation of the strap and it is the most widely used spot, however it is does not allow for options like the Atlas shoe does and if my heel was not a mess i would not care. but again, options are nice.

Atlas Run heel strap pivots

Dion heel strap does not pivot

What is nice about the Dions binding "quick fit" system is that once you determine the length/setting of the heel strap you never touch it again. You only need to open the toe and ankle strap and leave the heel strap alone. The velcro seems to hold tightly and the shoes came with extra: small medium and large straps for each position so you are able to get the perfect fit. The velcro straps were also comfortable on the foot where the Atlas has some discomfort spots.Overall the shoes feel good on the feet as well.

Having the front of the snowshoe frame bending up I suppose lessens the likelihood of the frame-toe catching in the snow. The atlas have a less drastic bend than the Dion and I have never had an issue with the toe catching. Atlas's "spring loaded suspension" seems to snap the tail of the shoe back down as soon as you lift your foot so that the nose is far less likely to catch in the snow. It just makes sense that for flotation you want to utilize as much of the shoe as possible and when the toe is bent so far up it basically is a large part of the shoe that is not being used. Same theory with the nose shape. it is pointy and pointy things penetrate/slice into things easier. The nose is nice in that it enables a more natural gait. However, The design of the Atlas shoes have never hindered my running gate. The nose of the Dions are very ineffective unless you are running on packed snow. However if you run on packed snow then these shoes will do nicely.

The cleats; my shoes did not sit flat on the cleats, the shoe seemed to teeter on the pivot strap. After running down hill my Salomons kept creeping forward. I kept tightening the toe and ankle straps which helped but the design would be better if the ankle strap was higher on the tongue of the shoe so it can hold the foot better from sliding forward. I will mount a stomp pad/griptape on each cleat to see if that helps the shoe from sliding. Also, the cleats have very little surface for a shoe to make contact with. My Salomons barely made contact on the rear of the binding only catching parts of sole tread. The binding are so wide the shoes do not contact much of the sides only the front center and rear. The Atlas (Runs and Races) however are a solid platform for the foot and not as wide. Having this skeleton of a frame makes mounting a shoe directly to the binding with fewer options.
I was told the teflon is impregnated in the metal so I have no clue what the stuff is that is peeling off as seen in the photo. Also, Bob Dion advised me to go with the "Deep Cleats" and this was a mistake (for me anyways). I was catching the cleats anytime I was on a groomer. The traction was nice but I would rather not be tripping from cleat drag. I am sure the standard cleats would be fine unless I was in a hill climbing race then maybe I would try the deep cleats. If I was on anything but hardpacked snow then I would use another shoe altogether.

It is nice in some respects (1 binding:multiple frames) that the Dions are modular in that the binding and the cleat are separate components. However there is a downside to this. I was easily able to move my foot with the binding back and forth and side to side a small amount over the cleat. The binding is just girdled over the cleat and is not very attached to it.

After my very first time these the bindings are already starting to tear. I would think at the very least the edges of the cleat could be rounded over rather than square. Also, this would not happen if the binding was attached to the cleat rather moving around and finding sharp edges. Bob Dion advised me to do as I suggested and round over the edges and put super glue on the tear to try and stop the tear from growing. If the tears continue to grow he offered to replace them. I would not let this affect a buying decsion as I am sure Bob is probably rounding the edges over now?; if not it is really easy to do with a file.

Another thing I like about the atlas is the binding straps are rubbery with ribs which help them to hold to the shoe and the platform which is integral to the cleat has a stomp pad that grips the shoe sole. The Dions is just some metal webbing that has no pliability to conform to the shoes letting them creep forward. But once again I am comparing a heavier shoe (the Atlas) to the Dions. The lighter (than both) Atlas "Race" has a very raw binding to save weight and does not have the features the "Runs" have to keep the shoe in place better. I have found that the Atlas straps are not as comfortable as the Dions over the top of the foot but are more effective at keeping the foot from sliding forward.

Here is a shot after I added some rubber grip tape. I have since removed the center piece for better shoe to cleat contact and to alleviate the teetering my shoes did over it. This really helped keeping the foot from sliding forward on downhills but after a few runs the tape is working itself loose.

If I had to choose only one pair to race and run in I would take the heavier Atlas runs. They have more usable surface area and the surface area they have seems to be very effective for flotation. Dions seems to have made minimal surface area just to appease regulations for racing and running on extremely stiff surfaces and I think they are great for this. The Atlas Race shoes have the same frame design and spring loaded binding thus the flotation properties are the same. However, the Race shoes have a very lightweight binding that is not as durable as the Atlas Runs or the Dions. If I was only going to run on hard packed groomers I might go with the Dions since they seem to be more durable than the Atlas Race shoes. For a lighter runner the Atlas Race should be fine and the Dions also will provide better flotation than they did for me or anyone my size.

What would I do if I were to redesign the Dions?
I would widen the frames up front, lessen the upturn of the nose and make them less pointy, move the ankle/instep strap up, integrates some type of front toe-strap to keep the foot from creeping and or some type of rubber platform and make the heel strap pivot somehow to enable you to position it anywhere on your heal. I would also make the cleats narrower and increase the webbing/decking on the frame. Also, I would make the cleat frames provide more of a platform front, rear and sides. Also I might make a canted mount for the binding/pivot strap to the frames to act as a spring in an attempt to snap the heal down and the nose up much like Atlas' patented spring loaded binding.

Both the Atlas running shoes and the Dions are meant for groomers/hard pack etc. but I will tell you this,the Atlas are a lot more fun in alot more conditions.

[edit]
This weekend I went out for a hike/run with a friend who runs for Redfeather and tried out some protoypes that were really nice.

These are the Prototype Redfeather Vapors

These shoes felt great on the foot and very fast. The flotation did not compare to the Atlas shoes but i would much rather have these shoes than the Dions for racing or running on hardpack or trying to run in softer snow. They are lighter than the Dions or Atlas Runs, & the rubber binding straps are extremely comfortable on the feet. The nose is not bent up as drastically as the Dions so the shoe has better contact thus better flotation upfront. Overall flotation between the two is close however, due to the very small tail on the Redfeathers. However, when running in powder the Redfeather Vapor released from its hole much easier than the Dions or Atlas (most likely because of the small tails).

I also have the current Redfeather "R700" shoes I am spending some time on. These are bigger (longer and wider) than the Atlas shoes and a bit heavier (not much) so I think they will be great for powder runs and orienteering races and even better for anything but hardpack groomers than the smaller Redfeathers and Dions.

[edit]
I got out the past few days on these Redfeather 700s. I thought they felt unstable. The pivot point seemed sloppy and the decking also felt sloppy. My foot and binding was moving around quite abit within the frame. The Pivot straps seem like they should be tighter as does the decking. With the shoe being as wide as it is they create a lot of leverage from side to side thus decreasing lateral stability.

As you can see there are many choices and they all have there place. It all depends on what your priorities are.

If I was to only have one shoe it would be the Atlas Runs. I like the Atlas Race shoes but they are not as durable as the Runs and would not hold up to everyday use for a person my size (6'1"/180lbs). The Runs are not to drastically heavy for racing and have great flotation for their size. If I could have 2 to choose from It would be the Atlas Runs and the Race shoes. For a smaller person then maybe the Vapors, Dions or the Atlas Race shoes would be a good go to pair. Personally (if I could go back in time) I would not buy the Dions when for only $54 (based on prices at ORS Direct) more you can have the Atlas Race shoes. You can get the Atlas Run shoes for less than the Dions.
The only other shoes I want to try are the Northern Lites, they look like they have some great flotation and are really light.

Well that is all for now.

Happy Trails!
Dan

I just ran across this video from ORS Snowshoes direct. This is where I have found some great prices on snowshoes and other gear.

The video covers the Crescent Moon, Atlas and Dion running shoes. Funny thing is the guy doing the video does not run. He does know snowshoeing and covers some good points on these particular models.