I like very short lite highly breathable but very water/wind resistant. Year round I use Integral Designs Shortie Event gaiters with traditional noninsulated hiking boots or trekking shoes. As others stated with snowshoes you're not postholing up to you knees, you're only protecting your foot/ankle at most from snow piling up on TOP of snowshoe.

Here's a great and very timely article reviewing footwear options for snow travel...


http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/...vel_part_1.html

if it doesn't open PM me and I'll cut and paste it.

Great education and understanding of options and how each works, then you decide what to try!

hikerfedex@gmail.com