I'm 5'10" 165lb and snowshoeing 10 years. The floatation offered is adequate for day hikes in everything but the deepest powder. I like the compact size. The decking is very durable and streached tight. The colors are painted on the deck and will wear off quickly (cosmetic only though). The crampons are sharp and beefy and offer good traction, though a little heavy. The are made in the USA and construction is good. My gripes are two. The snowshoes are alot heavier than listed. I weighed the pair at 4 lbs 3 oz (3.5lb is the listed weight). And the bindings are some of the worst I've used. They are heavy, a pain to manage all the loose straps, the rear ratchet doesn't work the best, and worst of all, only after a few steps, the snowshoes rotate into "pigeon toe" action. This seems consistent with the experience of others. No matter how hard I tried and re adjusted and tightened, they would immediately rotate off track so as to point inward. Only saving grace is that the bindings are interchangeable. They are held down by 4 bolts and nuts. I may try a different style binding (can order them from redfeather). Also you must verify that the nuts and bolts that hold the bindingd are staying tight.