About Crescent Moon
Crescent Moon Snowshoes has been making snowshoes for 22 years, in Boulder Colorado. With a strong foot hold in the traditional snowshoe market, they were always innovating and improving on the traditional snowshoe.
A few years ago co-founder Tamara Laug of Crescent Moon Snowshoes reimagined what a snowshoe could be. Why shouldn’t you have a lightweight, comfortable, easy for everyone to use snowshoe? Why not make it like a your favorite running/hiking shoe? From there, the Eva (E-va) all foam snowshoe was born. It’s won several awards since then and Crescent Moon continues to perfect an already incredible product for any outdoor enthusiast.
Review Date March 2020 – June 2020
Intended for: Snowshoeing in moderate terrain (preferably packed powder, or up to a foot of fresh snow). These work out well for low aspect snowshoeing, but will do surprisingly well in most side country conditions. These are a great option as your first pair of snow shoes, or a set to keep a pair in your car for easy access.
Specs and info from Crescent Moon:
- The rocker platform bends and rolls with your foot…just like your favorite athletic shoes.
- Extra cushion and insulation for comfort and warmth.
- Simple, secure hook and loop bindings.
- Quiet & Lightweight
- Serious traction with durable rubber lugs and optional ice cleats for hardpack & icy conditions**.
- Recyclable through athletic shoe recycling programs.
- Recommended use: Hiking and Running on flat to rolling terrain on packed trails.
- Eva: 8″ x 24″, 3.5 lbs/pair, fits 7W to 14M, 12 ice spikes
- Recommended for snowshoers up to 200 lbs.
Review:
Chris’ Review:
Crescent Moon Eva Snowshoes are not your ordinary snowshoes, introduced in 2017, the Eva has won several awards, and is still making it’s mark a few iterations later. Imagine being able to just strap on some comfortable sneakers and quickly head out to some terrain that’s close to you that would have been tough to hike through to reach your favorite spot to ride. It could a spot off the highway, or maybe you’re just scouting some terrain you’d like to ride.
These snowshoes are, by far, the most lightweight, easy to adjust and comfortable set of snowshoes I have ever strapped on. Forget about how you think a traditional snowshoe works, the rocker design allows your foot to move more naturally than a traditional snow shoe. I really felt the difference, there wasn’t the smack you feel mid stride on a standard metal snow shoe with a hinge, and my pants weren’t getting chewed up as I have experienced in the past.
The velcro straps used to connect your shoes/boots to the Eva are the easiest most convenient system you’ll experience in a snowshoe. It truly makes it easy for beginners to seasoned snowshoers appreciate the convenience of just strapping in and… go! It’s that easy, you can make adjustments on the fly if needed.
I used these snowshoes on several occasions from 30 to 45 degree slopes in packed snow up to about 9 inches of fresh snow and they were excellent in these conditions. I was able to move freely and the Eva’s ride well on top of the snow, they are so light weight you won’t really feel them. The grip from the strategically placed ice spikes give you great hold on steeper terrain.
In today’s environment where more people will be going into the sidecountry or backcountry, these snowshoes will serve you well for moderate terrain, and provide some relief if you can’t venture to your favorite resort this season due to the pandemic. There’s a lot of benefits to getting a pair of Eva’s from Crescent Moon Snowshoes and at the top is providing a convenient and easy way to get out and enjoy the snow wherever you are.
Overall Impressions:
If you’re looking for a reliable easy to use pair of snowshoes that will get you out to most any terrain, the Eva snowshoe is a solid choice. These foam snowshoes have amazing traction and are by far the most convenient pair of snowshoes I’ve ever had. It’s a no-brainer for today’s snow enthusiasts, get yourself a pair of Crescent Moon Eva snowshoes.
Dave’s Review:
We stopped by and spoke to Crescent Moon Snowshoes at SIA/OR last January. Chris and I both snowboard as long as possible, stretching the snow season as much as we can. We both have used splitboards into the spring months but were intrigued by the thought of using snowshoes. I’ve used snowshoes for winter hiking in the past. They were heavy, clunky, and just overall pretty difficult to use. I really like what we saw from Crescent Moon Snowshoes and was excited to try their EVA Foam Snowshoes.
The first thing you will notice is they are incredibly light, 3.5 lbs per pair. I found this to be a big advantage while hiking as it does not require significant effort to raise your foot and step forward. The snowshoes are pretty simple to put on compared to others that I have tried. The Crescent Moon EVA Foam snowshoes use velcro (similar to a sandal), so it’s very intuitive and simple to use. The foot/ankle opening can be adjusted to accommodate fairly large boots. A good winter boot is recommended, but I was able to get my Adidas Tactical ADV’s into them with some adjusting. I wear a size 11 and that is about the biggest snowboard boot you’d be able to fit in them.
Once they are on, the next thing you notice is the cushion and flexibility. They really are comfortable and absorb a lot of impacts. They have a unique design called the Rocker Platform. Basically, it bends and rolls with your foot, allowing a more natural stride. I hiked to the top of Grand Targhee Resort after the COVID-19 closure to give these a real try. My friends were all on split boards and I was able to keep up and maintain a good pace with the Crescent Moon Snowshoes. They have rubber lugs and ice cleats which came in very handy in hard-packed and icy spots while hiking. I strapped them to my Dakine Heli Pro pack once I reached the top to snowboard down. Their lightweight was appreciated here as well. The last thing you want is a ton of weight in your pack as you are skiing or snowboarding.
I used them in varied terrain: hardpack, icy, and some powder. They are not recommended for deep powder, but I thought they performed well up to about 8 inches. Deeper than that, I sunk in pretty deep and the snow caved in, making the snowshoe heavy and difficult to take the next step.
Overall Impressions:
The Cresent Moon Eva Foam Snowshoes are easy to use, lightweight, and provide great traction. These snowshoes are ideal for recreational winter hiking and durable enough for backcountry ski/snowboard use.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Good grip
- Easy to get in and out of binding
- Comfortable cushion
Cons
- Velcro can be difficult to use when it gets iced up