The examples for the first snowshoes came from local animals whose feet were adapted to the setting for over-land travel. A snowshoe rabbit’s hind feet were motivation for a pair of distinctive styles of snowshoe.

For those who like categorizing objects the snowshoe can be broken down into 5 basic categories: Ojibwa, Yukon, beavertail, bearpaw and Western. This doesn’t take into account the various different sizes or overlaps in regional names which can blur the lines between the various types.

Snowshoes can be made either as wood-framed or the more modern metal-frame. Early models were webbed with animal hide and were made to look like animal tracks such as those made by the bobcat or lynx. Some were also made to be like bear tracks, although bears left much deeper tracks than those made with snowshoes.

For over-land travel through soft, deep snow, there was not anything that could beat a well made pair of snowshoes.