Crescent Moon Gold 10 Snowshoe Review

Snowshoes have come along way in 15 years since I got into the sport. It's hard to go wrong with any brand you buy now, however there's one that stands above the rest: Crescent Moon Snowshoes. Not only are these snowshoes the easiest to use, they are extremely eco-friendly.

All Crescent Moon Snowshoes are made in Boulder, Colorado with a focus on the environment during each stage of production. They use wind energy to power their factory, recycle all waste material and use do not use PVC. Even when the snowshoes have seen better days, Crescent Moon offers the "Take Me Back" program, where old snowshoes are recycled.

For my weight and intent use, I reviewed the Crescent Moon Gold 10 Snowshoe. These are an all-round shoe for weights up to 225 pounds. I found they floated great in the powder and the extra claws gripped on the hard pack. This is their most popular model.

Crescent Moon Gold 10 Specs

Testing out the Crescent Moon Gold 10 Snowshoes

I tested out the Gold 10's in powder, on suncrust, packed-powder trails, and steep wet-packed slopes. The snowshoe performed well in each snow conditions and at variety of speeds and slope angles. It's a great all-round snowshoe. You can even run in it, although it's a bit too long for extended runs. The only improvement I would add is a riser bar to the heel place for ascending steep slopes.

Crescent Moon Gold 10 Snowshoes -- Side Hill

Here I'm on a crusty road-side snow bank. The stiff torque of the binding helps keep the frame from rotating under foot and the side claws (pictured below) keep the snowshoe from sliding down the bank. The teardrop shape of the snowshoe acts like a shovel when you need to stomp in steps on a side-hill. Once you get your footing established, you can step forward with toe up and heel down and cut through the snow with the tapered part of the snowshoe.

Crescent Moon Gold 10 Snowshoes -- Deep Snow

I was out playing around in the bottomless early season snow. We had a few big storms before the base set up, so I hit a spot of un-compacted snow around a bush. I was waist deep in the snow. Once I got my balance, I was able to step my way back up to the surface.

Snowshoe Tracks

Here's the tracks leading out. You can see the outline of the snowshoe as it compacted the snow. Again, notice how the teardrop shape cuts into the snow.

Gold 10 Binding Close-Up

I'm wearing a large winter boot and it fits perfectly into the binding. The straps fit snuggly around the boot, which is nice so snow doesn't build between the straps and the boot.

Easy Pull Straps

The best feature of the Gold 10 snowshoes are the bindings. I have yet to see an easier system. They can be operated with gloves on and can be secured with one hand. Just step into the toe piece and pull the strap. It's also very easy to release the bindings.

Gold 10 Binding Close-Up -- Side View

The binding's heal piece is a combination ratchet and strap. You adjust the strap around your heal then tighten down the ratchet for a precise fit. This system holds your boot snug on the snow for the duration of your trip. I didn't have to adjust the bind once I put the snowshoe on.

The smaller rope-like strap on the toe piece is the binding release. Like the tightening strap, it can be operated with gloves and simply pulled to release the binding.

Heel Plate

The large heal plate helps shed snow and provides a firm base, especially noticeable when descending. It would be nice to have a riser bar on the heal plate for steep ascents.

On the Snow

Here's a close-up of the snowshoe in action.

Crescent Moon Gold 10 Snowshoe Bottom

The decking of the snowshoe is made from a PVC free material that is abrasion resistance and will not tear. I found this material to shed snow and not get clogged up with wet snow. It's springy enough to give some bounce if your running on hard packed snow.

Crescent Moon Gold 10 Snowshoe Crampon - Close Up

Notice the stainless steel crampons under foot an on the toe. The two side claws help when traversing side hills. I really like the toe crampons, but it takes some time to get the feel for it on the downhills. Uphill, I could really feel the extra traction and the traction hold through the length of the stride. Downhill, I found myself tripping because I would catch the crampon on the snow. After I shortened my stride, it worked much better.

Buy the Crescent Moon Gold 10 Snowshoes