With so many products now made of carbon fiber and plastics there is the concern on how these materials will eventually be recycled. Products should be made to last, but that doesn’t have to be last forever in a landfill. Fortunately, there are still items that are made to last from natural materials. These items allow you to think about which grandchild might be inheriting them instead of how will they be disposed. The people at Iverson Shoenows believe in making a product that will last – not one season or even a few seasons, but a lifetime. Since 1954, Iverson has been crafting some of the finest quality snowshoes and they are still making them in America.
Based in Shingleton, Michigan for over 50 years, Iverson has been making their snowshoes from premium Michigan White Ash, full grain rawhides and pure copper hardware. The consumer side of the business was started by Clarence Iverson after word got out about his design and construction of snowshoes for the State of Michigan. His design solution was simple – create a snowshoe to walk on top of the snow instead of through it, there by reducing the energy expended and provide maximum weight distribution for optimum flotation. All while making a product that would withstand the brutal backcountry of the Upper Peninsula.
Today Iverson produces 11 hand-crafted models of snowshoes in all different sizes and a number of shapes. Any combination of snowshoe is available with traditional rawhide lacing or more modern ballistic neoprene. Along with picking the ‘shoe’ that will fit your needs, you also have four different choices of attachment systems (a.k.a. harnass options).
A very unique offering from Iverson is that their snowshoes are available as a kit for those who want to build their own snowshoes, and if none of these options fit your needs, Iverson can custom build a snowshoe for any use.
The snowshoes that Iverson crafts do come at a slight premium. They start at $180 and top out at $380, but they can be thought of as a lifetime investment and future family heirloom. If you have no interest in snowshoeing, Iverson also makes fishing nets, furniture and even ornaments. If you are looking for a quality, American made piece of equipment, ‘say ya to da’ snowshoes from Iverson.