The Atlas story began in 1990 when founder Perry Klebahn, who was looking to snowshoeing to help recover from a motorcycle injury, became frustrated with the designs of the time. Klebahn soon developed his own ideas, and created a revolutionary new snowshoe as the thesis project for his graduate engineering degree from Stanford University's product design program. Applying for patents on the original Atlas snowshoe, Klebahn was awarded the first patent granted for snowshoes in over 40 years. As development continued, innovations like the dual crampon design and Spring-Loaded™ Suspension became tenets of Atlas snowshoe designs and helped revolutionized the sport of snowshoeing.

With these efficient, lighter, compact snowshoes, snowshoeing has become increasingly popular throughout the world. Over the years, Atlas has continued to innovate in snowshoe technology. To date, they have been awarded 19 patents, from heel cleats to contoured footbeds, SureClick™ buckles, snowshoe frame tailjoints, and the latest – the elliptical cross-section tubing that provides the strength and durability of the 7075 ReactiV™ frames.

The snowshoes that are built today are the most technical, dependable snowshoes around, with technology that enhances winter, rather than overpowering or complicating it. For that reason, Atlas snowshoes are the choice of professional guides, elite athletes, the US Military Special Operations Forces, and all types of wilderness expeditions. Atlas is passionate about the products they make, researching, designing and testing the snowshoes in the harshest conditions of winter to build high-performance, reliable, and comfortable snowshoes for enthusiasts who refuse to retire to the fireside when the wide wilderness lies beneath winter’s coat.