So, looking at the longer ranger forecast into next week it looks like we may be getting another foot of snow next week.

For those of you that snowshoe, what are the features to look for in a set of shoes?

Are there any brands to look out for as garbage?

Get a size rated for your weight (counting any pack you may carry). If it occasionally gets icy where you are or is hilly, some sort of traction spikes under the ball of the foot are good to have.
Don't be fooled into fancy plastic bindings with ratchets and clips - they are stiff when cold and are hard to get to fit snugly (and sometimes creak noisily). A good web binding with cinch buckles is best and most versatile.

Get a size rated for your weight (counting any pack you may carry). If it occasionally gets icy where you are or is hilly, some sort of traction spikes under the ball of the foot are good to have.
Don't be fooled into fancy plastic bindings with ratchets and clips - they are stiff when cold and are hard to get to fit snugly (and sometimes creak noisily). A good web binding with cinch buckles is best and most versatile.

This.  I haven't done it in awhile, but used to.

I have the MSR Denali snowshoes and bought a second pair for Jeanne. They're nice and light. You almost don't feel them on your feet. The straps are supple down to 0* so far   The only scare I had was the heel strap had come off and I didn't notice so I thought I was going to lose the strap clip but it's pretty tight.

For my size 13's, the pivot point seems just about perfect so when I walk I don't hit my toe on the edge of the snowshoe. The metal bits on the bottom are good and sturdy. About the only real complaint is the toe metal bit is a tad long so when I start getting a little tired, I'll "stub" my toe a few times.

I've been using them over the past 3 or 4 seasons without any real problems.

Oh, they're good on icier trails and snow to a foot or so, but really not the best for deep soft snow. They are rather narrow. I tried going cross country last year (couple of mile hike to a lake) and eventually turned back because I kept sinking farther than I was comfortable with including falling backward into the snow (trip and slow fall ).

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Carl

Nice.  I was hoping you would chime in since I remember some mention of shoeing a while back.

I have found the more you can get your arse outside in the winter, the less crazy you become. I bought some cheap aluminum and hard plastic ones from WalMart, and they surprisingly lasted 2 years, but had a lame buckling system.