Facts About Snowshoes

Snowshoes are a webbed frame that is attached to each foot as an aid to walking in deep snow. Each snowshoe is much larger than the boot or shoe that they are attached to and this allows the snowshoe to spread the weight of the person's body over a larger area of snow. As a result, the winter hiker becomes more buoyant. Without the aid of these wintertime walking devices, hiking in deep snow would be much more difficult.

  1. Cutting a Path

    • With snowshoes attached to his or her feet, a winter hiker does not actually walk on top of the snow (unless the the surface of the snow is frozen solid), but instead the walker cuts a path through the snow that is near the surface.

    Aerobic Exercise

    • Walking in deep snow while wearing snowshoes is excellent aerobic exercise, especially when breaking a trail after a fresh snowfall. Today, much snowshoe activity is centered around this popular wintertime activity.

    Origin of Snowshoes

    • Although long associated with the life of North American Indians and the trapping and hunting culture that followed the opening of the American frontier, most historians place the origin of snowshoes in Asia Minor, near or in the Caucasus mountains.

    Modern Materials

    • Today, snowshoes are most commonly made from bent and shaped metal tubing that supports plastic webbing and bindings. In earlier times, showshoes were made from wood and rawhide.

    Method of Attachments

    • Snowshoes are attached to winter footgear by means of a binding that wraps around the toe of the hiker's boot. In essence, this causes the snowshoes to act like a giant pair of flip-flops, where the heel of the boot is loose and separates from the snowshoe with ease.