The great success of snowshoes for winter travel was first observed by European explorers with Northeastern tribes such as the Huron and Algonquin, which led subsequent trappers, hunters, and surveyors to adopt snowshoes as their own. Some of the earliest snowshoes were over 7 feet long which, though unwieldy, were helpful in navigating through very deep, powdery snow. Snowshoers looked to the naturally efficient design of animal paws and began modeling their snowshoes after animal prints they found in nature. The popular "beavertail" style had a round nose with the ends coming together in a long tail. The "bearpaw" was short and wide with a round tail, as its name implies. Both styles have had enormous influence on modern snowshoe design.
While the length and width of snowshoes varied over the years, they were typically large, made with ash timber frames and untanned cowhide webbing. The cultural landscape shifted dramatically approaching the early 1900s, as cities grew and society shifted from farming to industrial culture. People who no longer had to trap or hunt for food began to take to the woods for pure enjoyment and exercise, and the recreational sport of snowshoeing was born. In places like Quebec, recreational clubs held races and hosted hikes for recreational snowshoers, and new designs helped expand the market. Snowshoes became more than simply utilitarian, and with recreational use they became appreciated as aesthetic objects and pinnacles of craft.
