Snowshoe bindings can be fixed or rotating. Fixed ones (like the ones you tried, Andrew) are actually easier to use on broken trails and gentler terrain. The "snap" helps keep the tails from dragging and most importantly snow from building up on the newer, solid snowshoe decks and weighting you down. I don't enjoy these types because they often deposit snow down the back of my collar.

In the olden days binding were pretty sloppy and so we learned to snap or kick the shoes a little to keep snow off the tails. Also the woven rawhide decking didn't allow so much buildup.

Shoes witha rotating toe cord are more suited to steeper terrain and unbroken snow. They allow one to go up and down hills more easily. They require the user to manually "snap" the tails as you walk to keep the snow off. A lot of rental places are catering to casual users and so they rent the fixed toe type.

I have snowshoed in a kilt and it is great. But I now live in the land of heavy, wet snow, so there's not much of it flying anywhere.

Moosedog