Snowshoes have been worn for many thousands of years and originally relied on wooden frames along with animal hide. Modern snowshoes, however, are most often made from aluminum which is stronger and less susceptible to corrosion and damage. The history of snowshoes is thought to have begun in Asia around 4,000 years before the birth of Christ. Migrating over the land-bridge of the Bering Straits, it is thought that these ancient North American settlers used primitive forms of snowshoes to make the long journey.
Although aluminum snowshoes are now extensively used for sporting purposes, Native Americans took great pride in making snowshoes and would colour them depending on their tribes. The basic principle is to distribute weight across a larger area in order to stop the feet sinking into deep snow – this exact same principle is still used to this day. Until the 1950s, snowshoes were still predominantly wooden although many new materials were tested in order to manufacture more durable snowshoes. Aluminum was used due to its relative ‘soft’ nature and resistance to corrosion. There are also differences from the original wooden shoes such as their asymmetrical shape.