Tough question Clare.

I'm going to answer purely based on personal preference. I prefer the rigid pivot over the Atlas suspension.

I tried the Atlas system when I was first looking at buying snowshoes and it did work great. It's super-responsive, flexes to make walking on a bit of a sidehill easier, etc. What I didn't like about the Atlas suspension is that it flicks snow up behind the person. Most people seem to get the snow in the butt or back...I'm short and the flying snow seemed to consistently hit at about where the collar on my jacket was, so I had a consistent stream of snow hitting my neck and going down my back, which got pretty annoying in a hurry.

I ended up going with an MSR shoe, which has a rigid pivot point, and I've been really happy with it. =)

-Andrea

Much as Andrea stated above, I believe its personal preference. The two schools of thought are 1) keep the shoe closer to parallel under the foot, or 2) let the shoe hinge and shed accumulating snow. Now the atlas system does have a natural "droop" that sheds and the tubbs system does actually have a stop that prevents it from going full 90 degrees and also has articulation because the hinge is mounted in a small band of its own.

I own tubbs. After my experiences, my thoughts go as follows: Both are good systems. The tubbs shed snow when playing in powder quite admirably and as long as momentum is on your side when running or jumping, they mostly stay under your feet. The atlas system is more likely to fling snow (which would annoy the bajesus out of me) but it would likely funtion better if situations involving running or jumping (dont ask, I get crazy when I go snowshoeing!)

No, Tubbs sells one as an accessory, but it's not included with the shoes.

It is in stock now.

Unfortunately the bindings are only rated up to a size 13. You will be okay though if you're wearing a fairly low profile boot.

You may not need snowshoes with feet that wide! But seriously, look into the Atlas 1230s or 1235s. The bindings seem pretty compatible as long as you're not using an extremely bulky boot. Also, it may be a long shot, but try calling some manufacturers and seeing if there is the possibility of a custom binding.

The Atlas 1235 is rated at "300+" but I'm not aware just how high they mean. Anything smaller than a 35 inch shoe is probably out of the question. On trails the 1235 should work for you as long as the powder isn't too deep and you don't plan to take an extra pack. Also, the Atlas 12 series bindings are extremely quick and easy to use (No laborious tinkering or tightening, just adjust the heel strap length and one quick pull to tighten the foot strap.) I suggest renting the largest size you can find and going from there. Good luck!

Weight (including pack) and possible snow depth are the main concerns. Look on the right side of this screen under TECH SPECS and then look at "recommended wight"--If you're hiking off trail in deep powder get a large shoe for better flotation (especially if using a pack).

These will fit snowboard boots. I used them with size 10 fusion salomon snowboard boots and my friend has size 12.5 fusion salomon's. Both worked fine. However, I have the MSR lightning ascents and they were infinitely better at climbing due to the edge of the frame designed for traction. If you're doing any sort of ascending with switch backs I wouldn't recommend any tubbs due to the tubing on the outside providing no traction. I think these would be great for generic snowshoeing though; just not for climbing steep pitches in the backcountry.