Accessories for Girls

Snowshoes are snow apparels used for more than a thousand years and are continued to be used in snow covered regions. These are essential footwear used when travelling, hunting, and exploring as well as in exercising in Snowy Mountain ranges and terrains. These are also usually lightweight for a person to be able to easily traverse the snow without sinking.

The exact date as to when the snowshoes were actually invented is as of to date unknown to many. Despite this, many believe that these were actually invented in Central Asia some 6,000 years ago and were simply designed and worn. Rawhide lacings were the common materials used to make these shoes back then. As it was believed that Asia and the Americans were once connected by land at the area where the United States and Soviet Union is currently separated, it is also believed that these shoes were also the ones used by many in order to travel, by land, from to Alaska and Canada by crossing over the Bearing Strait and to Greenland and Scandinavia. Other than travelling, these shoes were also used in the olden days for hunting.

The main inspiration of men in creating snowshoes is said to be changes that they observed in nature. Due to the changes seen and observed by men on animals, especially those of the snowshoe hare, human saw the benefits of oversized feet in moving quickly in deep snow. From this basic information, men eventually added other features and made more changes in order to make the snowshoes we have these more effective. Some of the more obvious changes involve the use of other types of materials specifically lighter aluminum material and neoprene lacing instead of the traditional wooden frame and rawhide. Despite their importance for survival in snowy regions, many now consider this type of shoe as a toy more than an essential tool.

Different types of snow shoes are available in the market today which consumers can choose from. Four of the most popular types of these shoes are the Bear Paw, Alaskan, Ojibwa, and Michigan. Among the four aforementioned types, the most popular and common design is the Bear paw which resembles the solid paw of a bear. These are often short, wide and rounded and are best used for tighter areas like forests. Another type is the Alaskan snowshoe which feature wide open spaced interior for swift travel and are at the same time have long, narrow, and upturned toe. Normally known as Trail or Yukon, these are most popular in back countries.

Made of wooden frame and designed with a pointed tail, the Ojibwa snowshoes are the ones used by beginners and those in expeditions. Different countries originally used these in order to travel with speed and ease diverse territories. Finally, there are the Michigan shoes also known as the Huron. This is most popular in open areas and resembles a tennis racket. It also features a rounded foot bed with a tail attached to the back.

Snowshoes played a major role in the lives of our aborigines. Without these, our ancestors would have not been able to travel in terrains and harsh snow conditions in the past.