I have gone through a ton of different shoes, from old wooden ones to modern lightweight ones and go back to those big white military style all the time. They are good on deep stuff, easy to maintain and big enough to keep my fat ass where it needs to be. I would just buy something cheap to start, maybe from Chez Reny or goodwill. Don't go all in until you know if you are going to enjoy it, it's one of the most physically demanding winter hobby's in my opinion. Even if you hike all summer those first few trips in the snow take about four times longer than they should and will leave you spent.

I would suggest a smaller snowshoe. I would assume you will start in previously broken or groomed trailed. I had good luck with LLBean winter walkers. And tubbs. Poles are helpful too.

MSR makes very durable shoes with easy to put on bindings. I’ve had mine close to 20 years. You can just replace parts as they break. I would definitely get poles, and find some local snowmobile trails to try out first. Deep snow will kick your ass, so packed snow is best for a beginner.

Edit: Also, you’ll wear less clothes than you think! It’s a very sweaty sport! I normally wear a windbreaker over a hoody. Also, street hikers for me are best, especially on packed snow.

The LL bean outdoor discovery school really is a good place to start. I did a 3 hour into class several years ago, it was $30 they walk you through sizing snow shoes, proper gear and best practices in the woods. A well spent $30 in my mind.

Honestly, I got my snowshoes at Reny's and they've worked just fine. And I'm not sure where you are, but a lot of towns have some sort of park or reserve with fairly easy trails, which would be your best bet for starting.

I have these lightweight Tubbs ones, and use Keen winter boots, love ‘em both.

If you’re looking for a fun snowshoe/hangout day, Oxbow’s beer garden in Oxford has free use XC/snowshoe trails, and when you’re done you can get a pizza and beer right there.

Hi …. Pinelands has a good variety of groomed trails if you are in the area and okay with spending a bit of $ for the pass. Bath has groomed trails at the golf course for free. As noted elsewhere, other towns probably have these as well.

We have MSR shoes with lots of spikes on the bottom as we tend to get ice and I prefer to head for not-groomed trails. I prefer less area, more mobility, but would be flailing if in deep snow.

Happy snowshoeing!

Brands I don’t have a preference, I’ve got ll bean ones (though those tend to change every year) and some tubs. I think I’d look at how they go on, my bean ones have snap in buckles kind of like you’d see on a backpack, the take a little longer to put on and take off, my tubs ones I prefer and have a simple strap I pull to tighten around my toes and then like a belt buckle strap that goes around my heel, they are much faster to go on and off. Boots? Mucks or bogs I’ve found fit in them the best and are high enough that I don’t need gators.

I own a few types of snow shoes, I think the best style to get started with is the type with a rigid plastic deck, e.g. MSR Evo. That style is a good combination of comfortable, lightweight, good grip, and not too expensive.

I would avoid the cheaper style that is basically ametal tube bent around the circumference (there are many versions of this style). Those are not as comfortable and provide only minimal grip in my experience.

Unless you know you will be in breaking trail in deep powder I would round down on the sizing (size is based on your weight). You really don't need all that much floatation and you are less likely to trip or stumble with a slightly smaller size.

I'm not sure what you mean by "fixed front toe box", all the ones I've ever used pivot. I see no reason to use the old-school style that is fixed to your foot. Also, boots don't really matter, you can wear any hiking or snow boots that are comfortable for walking. No need to buy something special.

MSR is my favorite. I have the MSR Lightning Ascent, which were not cheap when I bought them 6 or 7 years ago. I don’t typically go on groomed trails, so maybe I’m a little rough on the shoes. However I was surprised how often the normal LL Bean style of snowhoes break. I’m a 160 lb guy who snowshoe hikes maybe a dozen times a year if the snow is good. I ended up breaking 3 pairs of LL Bean snowshoes, one a year until I broke down and bought the more expensive MSRs. This was back when LL Bean did refunds, so I wouldn’t recommend that strategy today. Find some nice snowshoes if you plan on going off trails or in deep snow.

Use poles, at least in the beginning. It's surprisingly easy to lose your balance and fall over when wearing snowshoes, even when standing still. Very embarrassing.

Maybe try renting a few different kinds before you buy so you'll be sure to get something you like and will use. I hate depositing money into the back of the closet or corner of the basement:-)

That said, modern snowshoes are designed to accommodate the weight they carry, including the person, their clothing and whatever they carry. Be honest with this weight consideration. It's not a fashion show. Also consider the terrain you'll be snowshoeing on. I recommend going to a shop that sells a few different brands and talking to a professional about the different snowshoes they sell. You'll learn so much. Not sure where that is in Maine. Maybe llbean, cabelas? EMS in NH? I don't know. I lived in a place that had an REI and they were awesome.

Personally, I have a pair of Atlas and a pair of Tubbs. I like both but I use the Tubbs more because they're easier to get on and off. My Atlas snowshoes are older so maybe the bindings on newer models are better. Depending on conditions and what I'm walking on, I use poles which are adjustable for hiking and snow sports. For boots, I wear some old Merrell winter hiking boots with gaiters (Outdoor Research Crocodiles are the best gaiters you can buy). I'm probably due for some new boots and would go with winter hiking boots again. Probably a different brand because Merrell has started to fail in quality, styles and comfort. Full heavy, thick, tall winter boots attached to snowshoes are so clunky and hot. No thanks. Snowshoeing is just walking on snow, hopefully without sinking in, so reducing clunk is important to me. You're going to be moving so hopefully will generate enough heat to keep you warm. But I run hot and don't need heavy duty thick socks or boot warmers or anything like that unless it's in the sub-zeros, in which case I just stay inside and do a puzzle in front of the fire.

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First step would be knowing your area to be able to recommend beginner trails for you.

There is a lot of great advice on here. If you really want your mind blown, you can look into snowshoe RUNNING. I have some shoes specifically for that. It’s a trip (no pun intended at all). You need specialized shoes for that though. They are lighter and shaped different. You attach them right to your running shoes.