In tumultuous terrain, your alpine footwear will help get you up those perilous peaks, conquer crevices and side step snow. Alpine footwear are sturdier shoes with a more rigid shank under the foot to provide complete protection to your foot. The rigid shanks in expedition boots are designed to take a high load, remove any flexibility that could result in muscle strain and provide insulation from the frozen ground. Footwear for an alpine environment should always be waterproof, as snow and water retaining soil is likely. It’s always important to wear in your weatherproof alpine boots before your expedition, as these rigid shoes take a long time to soften to your foot contour.

FAQs

What are crampons and when should I use them?

Crampons are an alpine and snow gear addition, used predominately for traversing through icy snow, across glaciers or ice climbing. Crampons are designed with aggressive spikes to add traction and hook into slippery, vertical or unstable surfaces, and can be secured to mountaineering boots in multiple ways. Micro crampons can be used on flat and ice covered environments like rocky flats, whereas more aggressive crampons should be used on the ice climbing, icey slopes and icey snow conditions. 

What should I look for when buying snow shoes?

Snowshoes are great for powdery alpine snow environments, increasing your footprint surface area and allowing you to travel through the snow covered backcountry. When looking for snow shoes, an important aspect is the bindings on the snow shoes. Most snow shoes have bindings that are compatible with shoes and boots, though checking every model is important. Rails underneath the snowshoes reduce sliding forward and sideways, and are important if you are doing any incline or decline alpine expeditions. When your alpine expeditions reach an incline, having a heel lift hinge will help you go further and faster. 

What are the benefits of alpine boots?

Alpine mountaineering boots are created to take you further, with durable soles, waterproof uppers and technical features for the toughest environments. Alpine expedition boots are rugged, with many coming with insulation built in, as well as waterproof membranes. Though heavier than traditional hiking boots, alpine boots offer the greatest amount of protection from muscle strain, rolled ankles, frozen feet and many come with built in gaiters.

What shoe accessories are recommended for a first time alpine adventurer?

Keeping your feet warm and dry are of the utmost importance in extreme environments, that’s why we recommend waterproof insulated boots be paired with waterproof gaiters. Waterproof and windproof gaiters protect your shoes from being packed with snow, and reduce any water possibly getting in during rain or snow events. For apine conditions we recommend gaiters such as the Fjällräven Singi Gaiter as they will keep snow out of your boots and keep your lower legs warm.

What snowshoe and crampon brands does Paddy Pallin sell?

At Paddy Pallin we stock a wide range of snowshoes and crampons from some of the industry leading outdoor brands. For snowshoes, at Paddy Pallin we stock quality snowshoes from brands such as MSR, Redfeather and Tubbs Snowshoes. This range of snowshoe brands differ in use cases, so you can choose the perfect snowshoe for your adventure. At Paddy Pallin we stock a wide range of crampons from outdoors brands like Black Diamond and Salewa. These brands design reliable crampons which will keep you safe and secure in the mountains. We also stock NANOspikes and MICROspikes from Kahtoola which are designed to help you keep traction when walking or running in snowy and icy conditions.