Created specifically to match a women's stride, this Women's 1023 Elektra 10 Series snowshoe is a great all-terrain design made for a wide range of abilities. The award-winning Atlas 10 Series is a big step apart for recreational snowshoes developed for hardpack trails, but doesn't strap you into the expensive high-end mountaineering features found on the Atlas 12 and 13 series snowshoe designs. This particular 1023 Snowshoe has the most compact length in the Women's Elektra 10 Series, featuring 145 square inches of surface area and enough floatation to support loads between 80 to 160 lbs. (that's fully loaded with your jacket, boots and pack on). Unlike the snowshoes made for guys, the Atlas Elektra Series offers a narrower tail and nose to match a women's gait. When you consider the 80-lb. load range, it's easy to understand why this versatile design is a superb choice for outdoor enthusiasts who want to hike, trek and climb on the same reliable pair of snowshoes throughout the season. The Elektra 1023 snowshoe features Atlas' patented Spring-Loaded Suspension (ideal for true forward and side hill articulation) with a new Wrapp Plus Binding that features molded left and right arches for a better fit. Atlas also added foam padding along the binding surface for enhanced warmth and extra comfort on long routes. Atlas kept the same 10 Series V frame as previous years and used a new 6061 aluminum material, but beneath it all you'll find a new Holey-1 toe crampon and stainless steel Traverse Trac rails with heel cleats for extra hold. The decking is also a new nylon reinforced material that stays durable but flexible in extreme cold. If you only want to buy one snowshoe for all your days of backyard and backcountry exploring, the Elektra 1023 is an ideal choice. If you need a little bit more floatation for hiking up and around towering cornices in remote spaces (like Greenland or Silverton when the roads are closed for the winter), the Atlas women's Elektra 12 Series snowshoes might be what you need to float above the deepest snow.