In 1906, in Norway, Maine, the Tubbs company began making wooden snowshoes, the traditional ash-and-rawhide webs that let people travel over deep snow the way they had for centuries. More than a hundred years later Tubbs makes modern aluminum-and-composite snowshoes, but the mission has not changed: keep moving when the snow gets deep.
The short version: Tubbs, founded 1906 and owned by K2/Newell’s winter sports group, makes snowshoes for recreation, backcountry, and running, with over a century of heritage. Buy it for snowshoes across every use, from flat-trail day walks to steep backcountry ascents. It is a heritage snowshoe specialist and one of the most trusted names in the category.
Where Tubbs came from
From traditional wooden snowshoes in early-1900s Maine to modern decking and binding systems, Tubbs carried snowshoeing from necessity into recreation. The brand became a category leader, now part of a winter-sports portfolio, while keeping the deep heritage that defines it.
What they actually make well
Snowshoes for every purpose: recreational day-trail models, backcountry snowshoes with aggressive crampons for steep terrain, and lightweight running snowshoes. It pairs naturally with winter traction from Kahtoola and poles from LEKI for a complete deep-snow kit.
Built to last?
Durable decking, frames, and bindings built for hard winter use, with solid warranty support; a good pair of Tubbs lasts many seasons. The traditional-to-modern evolution kept the durability while shedding the maintenance of old wooden webs.
The causes they actually fund
Tubbs has historically supported programs getting people (especially newcomers and youth) into winter recreation, fitting its accessible heritage. As a category specialist its cause work is modest and community-oriented, an honest read.
Where this gear comes from, and where it earns its place
A century-plus of New England snow heritage, at home anywhere winter buries the trail: the snow-covered high country and northern routes across the Trail Atlas, including the winter Flagstaff and San Juan country in our region guides.
The honest take
Snowshoes are a seasonal, specialized purchase, and casual winter walkers on packed trails may only need traction like Kahtoola spikes instead. But when the snow gets genuinely deep, snowshoes are the only answer, and Tubbs’s century of heritage makes it a safe, trusted choice. Buy them when the powder gets serious.
Snowshoes since 1906, keeping people moving when the snow gets deep. More makers in Brands We Love. Last verified July 2026.