Snowshoe Magazine reports that the practice of making snowshoes began on the Asian continent more than 6,000 years ago and was carried over to the North American continent across the Bering Sea land bridge. The earliest snowshoe more closely resembled a snow ski, as this footwear was basically a slab of wood tied to the bottom of the feet. The Indians of North America developed four distinct styles of man-made snowshoes, adapting the materials and shape based on the surrounding environment.
Materials
The earliest snowshoes were little more than bent and broken twigs lashed together and laced with rawhide. The indigenous people of North America developed more sophisticated framework, fashioning branches from strong woods such as ash, birch, willow and spruce. Snowshoe designs evolved according to purpose and terrain. Indigenous hunters who needed to carry large game swiftly across vast spans of flat land required wide and long snowshoes, while people who needed to tote small kills on rugged terrain needed smaller shoes.
Alaskan and Obijwa Shoes
The Alaskan snowshoe is long and narrow with an upturned toe. The curved tip of the snowshoe cut a trail for dog sled teams. These snowshoes typically measure 10 inches across and 60 inches long, according to the website Anchorage.net. Native Alaskans travel swiftly across open terrain in these shoes.
The First Nation people lived in uneven terrain, in what is now Manitoba, Canada. These people wore Obijwa shoes, upturned at both the front and the rear. Obijwa shoes allow for greater ease of movement in every direction but are not as stable as shoes that do not let you slide backward down a hill.
Michigan and Bear Paws
Michigan shoes, otherwise known as Yukon, Maine or Algonquin styles, allowed hunters to carry heavy loads. These shoes have a long tail and resemble tennis racquets, which make it difficult to maneuver but offer exceptional stability while hauling large game, like elk and buffalo. It is difficult to turn around in these shoes. Michigan snowshoes measure about 13 inches wide and 48 inches long.
Modern snowshoe manufacturers base current designs on the more oval-shaped Bear Paw shoes, which range in measurements from 8 inches by 25 inches to 10 inches by 36 inches. These shoes work well on any terrain and offer maneuverability to turn in any direction.
Evolution
Traditional man-made snowshoes were a necessity for Native Americans who lived in the northern part of the continent. Man had to hunt to eat in the winter, and deep snow drifts inhibited a hunter from chasing prey and carrying it back to his family. The industrial revolution reduced the need for snowshoes and modern technologies have replaced traditional materials, but the basic shape of traditional man-made snowshoes survives.
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