Snowshoes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are a couple of variables for a beginner to consider:

1. How deep is the snow?
2. how much do you weigh?

Basically, the deeper the snow, the longer the snowshoe and the more you (and your pack) weighs, the longer the snowshoe.

My wife and I are avid snowshoers, and she is much lighter than me. We solved weight/snow depth problem by buying 3 pairs of snowshoes, one pair in each of the 3 standard sizes.

When the snow is deep, I use the long ones, and my wife uses the middle ones

When the snow is not so deep, I use the middle ones, and my wife uses the small ones.

There are climbing and running 'shoes available, but those are niche items.

You will need ski poles.

Here is a picture of the small size Yanes Mountain Pass model we use. It is a good starter model because it is sturdy, inexpensive, has a very robust and simple to use ratcheting binding, and comes with a tote bag and matching ski poles.... No affiliation. http://yanes.corecommerce.com/Snowshoes/