Snowshoe Makers and Manufacturers That Were

Time spent at antique shops and on eBay has revealed several names of snowshoe makers and manufacturers no longer in operation. The following listing does not pretend to be comprehensive. Readers are invited – and in fact, encouraged! – to issue correctives and addendums to the below.

Aigle Noir

The GV Snowshoes site lists Aigle Noir as a 1984 acquisition. Moreover, the response to a letter on p. 11 in Backpacker’s 13 February 1976 issue (vol. 4, no. 1) gives the company’s address as 42 de la Passerelle in Loretteville. You can find a small snowshoe-shaped grey sticker on the toe bar with the company’s logo on vintage pairs of these shoes.

Browning

I have seen online photos and references to Browning snowshoes. One photo makes visible stamping on the toe-bar that reads “Made in Canada.”

Chestnut Canoe

The New Brunswick-based Chestnut Canoe Company was also a manufacturer of snowshoes.

In the course of a November 30th, 2013 Google+ thread, Steve Kilbride kindly pointed me to a webpage offering information on the building in Fredericton that formerly housed the Chestnut Canoe Factory. The page notes that in addition to producing canoes, the company “also supplied the armed forces with thousands of pairs of snowshoes.”

snowshoe pair upright

1939 Chestnut Canoe snowshoes. Photo: Ingenium Conservation via Twitter

(Carl) Heilman

Sole proprietor Carl Heilman made his first pair of snowshoes after relocating to the Adirondacks in the early 1970s. He currently makes his living as a photographer, leaving the snowshoe-making business a decade and a half ago (pm with C. Heilman, 30 April 2012).

Henry Ross Limited

I received a pair of Huron snowshoes purchased at the Brimfield Antique Show for my birthday in the summer of 2011. A label gives Loretteville as the location of the company. However, beyond this, I know nothing of this company, nor have I seen any other sets of snowshoes bearing its mark.

raquettes snowshoes

The author with his pair of Henry Ross Limited Hurons. Photo: Matthew Timothy Bradley

Kabir Kouba

The GV Snowshoes site lists Kabir Kouba as a 1985 acquisition. I have visited the Kabir Kouba Falls at Wendake and assume that this snowshoe manufacturer was located in the vicinity.

man on rocks at Kabir Kouba falls with Wendake Tarahumara pack

The author at Kabir Kouba Falls, the potential location of Kabir Kouba snowshoes. Photo: Matthew Timothy Bradley

C.A. Lund

I have come across online references to the World War II-era snowshoes produced for the United States Army by C.A. Lund. The location of the company is given as Hastings, Minnesota. Furthermore, the Lund name is associated with the products with the Northland Ski Company.

Sherpa

Matt Sutkoski has already contributed an excellent article-length history of Sherpa. Also, Claire Walter has shared an excellent profile of company founders Bill and Gene Prater for Snowshoe Magazine, from which I summarize.

The Northwest-based company came into existence in the early 1970s. The design features now taken for granted by snowshoers—metal frames, synthetic decking, and crampon-integrated bindings—became available to consumers via the Sherpa brand. The company went out of existence in the 1990s after changing hands a couple of times.

But, Sherpas can still be had on eBay and elsewhere. Also, in the past, I have even spotted a pair of Sherpas in the wild myself!

snowshoe manufacturers: Sherpa snowshoes on Mount Greylock

Sherpas in the wild! Photo: Matthew Timothy Bradley

Snocraft

I have spotted a handful of pairs of Snocraft models for sale in antique shops. Furthermore, a page at the Garland Manufacturing Company’s website states that Garland acquired the Norway, Maine-based Snocraft in 1950, at which time a single employee worked repairing snowshoes.

Over the course of the next twenty-four years, activities at Snocraft expanded to include the manufacture of snowshoes, wooden sleds, and children’s skis. The webpage states that the “division was sold” in 1974 but did not state to whom or whether it continued operations afterward.

However, in a 27 March 2013 comment to this post, Country Ways co-owner Greg Wilcox noted that his company had purchased the remainder of the Snocraft stock “about 5 years ago.”

snowshoe manufacturers: Snocraft bear paw snowshoe

Snocraft elbow w/ neoprene lacing. Photo: Matthew Timothy Bradley

Torpedo

I spotted a pair of Torpedo snowshoe decorating the wall of an outdoor store in Western North Carolina back in 2012. The stamping gave the place of manufacture as Lac Megantic.

snowshoe manufacturers: Torpedo snowshoes at Highland Hiker

The author spotted this pair of 12 × 42 Torpedo snowshoes. Photo: Matthew Timothy Bradley

(Floyd) Westover

Sole proprietor, Floyd Westover of Upstate New York, pioneered two important snowshoe design features. In the 1930s, he combined an ovular frame with a swallowtail to create a frame shape that came to be known as the Modified Bearpaw. Then, in 1964 he substituted neoprene for rawhide lacing.

He sold the rights to his design and to the use of his name to Iverson in 1964 (“Inventor sells rights”). Also, fellow Upstater Ray Green was a student of Westover’s (Archer 2000).

What other snowshoe manufacturers are you aware of that are no longer in operation? Also, are you familiar with any of these brands? Let us know in the comments below!

This article was originally published on March 25, 2013. Also, it was most recently updated by Susan Wowk on June 14, 2021.

Read Next: Traditional Wooden Snowshoes: Shapes, Designs, Names

Works cited

Archer, Rick. 2000. “Broadalbin snowshoe maker one of a dying breed.” The Daily Gazette, January 16, sec. Focus on Fulton and Montgomery counties, pp. 1, 6.

Inventor sells rights on 1930 snowshoes.” 1981. The Hour, March 23, p. 12.

“Snowshoes & Snowshoeing.” 2012. www.CarlHeilman.com. http://www.carlheilman.com/snowshoe.html.

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34 Comments

  • I have a pair that have the name Raymond green on them. Very old. 🙂 found at estate sale. I would like to atta h a picture but I’m not sure how !!!

  • Yubashoes, I got a pair of Yubashoes Borderlines from my brother & sister-in-law for Christmas 1998. 10-12 years later I gave them to a friend’s son because I’d put on too much weight to float in them, and to the best of my knowledge his brother still has them today.

  • Hello I know of the Henry Ross Company as it was owned by my great great grandfather. Do you still have the snowshoes and have you come across anymore?

    • Hi Jill,

      How neat that your great-great-grandfather owned the Henry Ross Company! Thank you for sharing! I reached out to the writer of this article, and he said that he does still own these snowshoes. He also mentioned that they are still in working order and a great pair! I don’t believe we’ve come across any other pairs. Do you know of other snowshoes that your great-great-grandfather made? We’d love to learn more and will be sure to reach out if we come across other pairs! -Susan, Snowshoe Mag Editor

  • Hi I have a pair of snow craft Inc norway maine USA
    No. 25646 in very good condition.
    Can you tell me how old they are? What are they worth?

  • I have two pair of Browning snowshoes I used in the 70s and 80s… in addition to the Browning Made in Canada stamp on the tie plate, they are stamped St. George and a number (possibly 0166) on the tail. I would add a picture if I could figure out how… 😕

  • I have a pair of Chestnut Canoe Co. Limited snowshoes from the Hudson Bay company bought in 1965 in mint condition. can anyone tell me what they are worth. Thx

  • I have a pair of snowshoes from my grandfather. They are marked chestnut 13X48. I can’t find them anywhere on the internet. I also have a pair of 14×48 marked village Huron que. that I believe to be Indian made. Do you have any idea of how old these snowshoes are?

  • I have a pair of wood and hide snowshoes which belonged to my father. They are at least 60 years old and marked Bates Snowshoes Matagama Ontario. 16X48. Does anyone know anything about this company? I can’t find any information about it online.

  • EARLY US C.A. LUND SNOWSHOES SNOW SHOES MILITARY WWII
    I found a pair of thes at a second hand store. Can any one tell me what they might be worth. Thanks oh thes are in great shape

  • I recently found a pair of wood and rawhide snowshoes marked Thrift Brand Norway Maine. They are 12X42. Can anyone tell me something about the maker?
    Thanks!

  • I have a pair of snocraft snowshoes that belonged to my uncle. the serial number stamped on them is 0094. Does anyone have any idea what the value of these would be?

  • I purchased a Snocraft coffee table at a yard sale. The owner said she bought it at LLBean over forty years ago. Do you have any information that would confirm this?

  • I have a set of snowshoes that My father In-law gave me that were his fathers in the Yukon, He believes they are about 100 years old. I am not able to find then on line would you be able to help me find out more about them or where I would be able to , They are 61 inches by 10 inch and have a stamp on then True Temper Norway products also have Alaska Trapper-(looks like) 10-T

    • Sounds like a wonderful piece, Samantha! I don’t believe I have ever heard of True Temper snowshoes myself. One person who does know a lot on the topic is C.P Nisben. Nisben may be contacted via the following address:
      P O. Box 1772
      Ravenswood
      Conway, N.H. 03818

      Good hunting, and please do not hesitate to ask me further questions or to share photos from iPhoto.

  • I have a pair of Snocraft Inc. Norway Maine USA, serial number 12764. It looks like there is a name stamped on it. Do you know what the name that is stamped on them is and value of these would be?They are 57 and a half by 10 and a half. Thank you

  • I have two snocraft folding camp chairs in perfect condition. Any idea what they are worth, or someone that would like to buy them.

  • We bought the remainder of the Snocraft about 5 years ago which consisted of a few hundred pair of frames and quite a good number of the bending forms. While most all of the frames have been sold we do have Snocraft forms available.

    • I have three pairs of Snocraft snowshoes that belonged to my Grandfather. They were made in Norway, Maine in 1943 and he called them Pickerel snowshoes as they are 52″ long by 10″ wide. They’re in mint condition as he always took great care of them. Any idea of value on them? I wouldn’t part with them as he taught me woodscraft here in the Catskills Mtns. in the 1950’s until his death in 1962.

    • Greg Can you tell me did old snow crafts use water buffalo hides? I have old pair the hide is near perfect just curious what material the rawhide might have been?55X10.leather is stiff but the hide looks his so impeccable .Txs
      Molly

      • I sell rubber bindings that I make myself.
        The name of my company is Lifetime Snowshoe Bindings. You can find me on EBAY.
        Kerry Hegarty

    • I have a pair of snocraft snowshoes the only numbers I can find on them are 1952.6 do you have any information about these? Looking for age and possibly value they are in very nice shape. Thank you for any help you can provide!

    • do you happen to have any of the chairs? My great grandfather started this company. My father worked there for a short while as he grew up. I have been looking for an original snow shoe chair for quite some time.

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