The Boot Pro Ski & Bike — Local services in Ludlow

Just go with the pro

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF). Shon and his team are consulate professionals. They have extensive experience, have high candor, and will spend the time with you making sure you get the setup you need, or the boot fit of your dreams. They help greatly with the decision-making of purchasing equipment. You want this because the last thing you need is a high-dollar investment that will not work for you. Their prices are extremely reasonable in comparison to area and the industry.

They will treat you like a friend (they do NOT upsell without reason, and have NO sales pressure), and provide advice as such. Don’t bother going anywhere else. His team are pros and they treat you like family.

Also, Don’t just take my word for it, Shon and his team do such a good job, they were recognized NATIONALLY in Skimag as one of the best in the Nation.

Long version.

Experience - I was blown away by Shon and his team’s knowledge, and extensive experience. I learned so much more than I ever thought I would, and I do a large volume of research prior to buying anything. From the fitting to skiing. You’re going to get to schooled in the best way possible.

Prices - They will not try to upsell you, and provide advice and suggestions with incredible candor and know-how. Let’s be honest, skiing is expensive, but the equipment matters. It can turn a fun day on to the slopes of one of misery if your boots suck or you are on the wrong skis. Shon and his team will guide you to what you need and provide decision-making advice you can rely on. You are going to get what you need.

Boot fitting - Long time Skiier, first time having ski boots professionally fitted. Massive difference and I regret so much having spent the last 10 years thinking I was doing the right thing by putting in my own insoles and baking boots my own. The quality of my custom insole that Shon and his team made for me is incredible and will last me several years, if not more. The insole will definitely make me a better Skiier. Yes, I can say that definitively. The boot fit he did subsequently is not just good - it’s exceptional. Wayyyyy better than I thought was possible. It’s gonna help me RIP while also staying super comfortable. Did not think this was possible before walking into this hop.

Equipment selection - He has an extensive lineup with the best skis brands in the industry. They not only have daily rippers but have the gamut of somewhat niche skis. You want a great beginner ski that can grow with you - Check. You want pow skis that will give you time of your life - check. You want a backcountry set up - ohh yea they got it. They even have race skis if you’re into that kind of thing.

Also, my personal opinion determined through this experience at this shop. Skiing is one of the few sports where it is a HORRIBLE idea to buy nearly anything online (and I buy EVERYTHING ONLINE). Frankly, in this industry, you’re likely to not even save money. Go to this local, family-run ski shop. You’re going to pay the same price (with mounting and boot fitting likely included) except receive EXCELLENT SERVICE and PROFESSIONAL ADVICE and get exactly what you need.

I am so pumped for this set up (80 frontside/20 backcountry) that Shon helped me with. He has made me a believer. I forever will go to this shop, recommend them to my friends and family, and take my family there for equipment.

Also, Don’t just take my word for it, Shon and his team do such a good job, they were recognized NATIONALLY in Skiman as one of the best...

I showed up at the Boot Pro last Saturday, pretty confused and demoralized. I had been struggling in my boots for the last few months. As a skier who learned as an adult and has worked hard to be a strong intermediate skier (who is now skiing 25-30 days a season), everything about skiing has been challenging and boot fit was no different. While the Nordica boots I purchased two seasons ago were a good fit for a while, I always had trouble with feet falling asleep and never feeling like I could get things the way they “should” be (whatever that meant!!). My larger calves were always feeling constricted and tight in a bad way. And now, my feet were sloshing around, no control over my skis, and my feet were still falling asleep. I was miserable and skiing poorly. No amount of fiddling with the buckles was helping.

I actually visited another boot fitter a few towns away the day before and was told I needed to go a full size down in my boots (period) and nothing could be done with my current boots except strapping in tighter (or wearing two pairs of socks! Spoiler alert: terrible idea) and being miserable until I shelled out $700+ for new boots.

Enter the Boot Pro and Matt Tripp. He assessed my foot and measured it in ways no one else had. He listened to everything I said, asked a lot of questions and manipulated my feet to really assess my issues. He measured me using multiple tools, twice. He was convinced that my boots are actually a pretty good fit for me and that sizing down is not really needed (but a low volume boot next time would be a great idea for my particular foot: narrow-average width, narrow ankle, larger calf). I didn’t even know about low, mid, or high volume boots! A whole important category besides the regular mondo sizing!

For $250, he built my custom foot beds, and then worked some serious magic fixing some of the packed out areas of my boots, bringing the foundation of the boot up to my foot, and snugging up the toe and heel so my foot stayed in place. He moved one buckle in tighter (which made me nervous as I had moved the clasp looser early on to give me more room in the calves). He opened up the calf adjustment on the boot to give me more room. He made sure I knew how to properly strap into my boot (which I really did not, and when I followed his advice with the new boot fit, it worked exactly like everyone says it should! The boots were snug, comfortable, but nothing cramped, hurting or falling asleep. And full contact with the tongue, etc).

Nate was helpful the morning I picked up the boots, making sure my alignment in the boots was correct.

I skied the best I’ve skied all season at Okemo on Sunday, just trying out the boots. I almost cried I was so happy to feel in control and confident of my skiing again. I couldn’t be happier with the customer service, knowledge, skill, and thoroughness of Matt and the staff I worked with here.

We live in Baltimore, MD and travel to ski almost every weekend. The Boot Pro will be a regular stop for us for as long as we are here and traveling to ski. Customer for...

Here's the deets - if you just want to get any pair of boots that semi-feel good on your feet and hit the mountain, this is NOT the place for you.

However, if you are in need of boots and want to take the time to be properly fitted (really, who wouldn't?) by someone who knows the products they are selling, understands the intricacies associated with matching the foot to the "right" boot, takes the time to ask all the questions and explain everything in layman's terms, and gives dedicated attention to the customer, then this is the place to go.

A little history - I bought a pair of boots from The Boot Pro about 12 years ago. Matt helped set me up with the right pair & fit and my skiing that year practically instantly improved.

Fast forward to 2022 - time for a new pair for both myself and my husband. Ok, ok, probably past time but I digress.....

I was very clear with my husband I would ONLY go to The Boot Pro based upon my previous experience with them. It didn't matter they're 6 hours from where we live in NJ ; it was this shop or nothing so we took a quick trip two weeks before Christmas.

Arrived at the shop first thing in the morning and who helps us but Matt. Which made me happy because I remembered my experience with him the last time around. It took about four hours for Matt to find the "perfect" boot for me and my husband. A lot of "I like this but not this and if we could combine this with that, we'd have the perfect boot" but Matt was patient and understanding, hearing our concerns and working hard to put us in the right boot for our feet and our skills. Of course, we went with custom foot beds which again, reflecting back on my previous experience, are a must.

Admittedly, we also wound up with new skis & bindings (NOT planned) but, well, you can't take it with you, amiright?

As luck would have it, it was snowing the next day when we picked up our new gear and we headed right up to the mountain to test drive our new setups for a few hours. Keeping in mind it takes a few days to truly break the boots in (and it takes me a few days to "learn" my new skis and build a trusting relationship with them), we were thrilled with our new acquisitions. The best part for me was not having to listen to my husband complain about his boots hurting his feet. Whew.....that in and of itself is a win!

Another quick note - while I was wandering the store "testing" my new boots, every staff member I encountered was friendly and certainly knowledgeable about the stock from goggles to socks and everything in between. It's refreshing as a customer, to experience true customer service but you'll find nothing less at The Boot Pro.

This shop will continue to receive my business despite being so far from us. It takes a lot to earn my trust as a customer but...