Strand’s Ski Shop

Need boots? Ski packages for the kids? Tuning, boot fitting? Don’t bother with Strands. I have tried to use the ‘local guys’ three times and am struck each visit by the rude, unprofessional manner of the sales clerks. In the late 80’s and early 90’s this was the place to go (loved that CB jacket!) but no longer worth my patronage. On our last ever visit this weekend, we witnessed the technician working on my daughters boots pourIng Jack Daniels into his coffee mug. Shocking and unacceptable. They may have good equipment, and know their stuff — but so do the guys at Competitive Edge or Hadley Bike and Ski. Instead of paying the über high prices at Strands for little options and horrible customer service– spend a little more on gas and visit a place where they are actually pleased you walked through the door of their shop.

Worst boot fitting experience ever.
Purchased new ski boots last season from them for over $ 600 and had to return 4 times to try and get them to fit right. They never ended up getting them to fit correctly had to go somewhere else and buy other boots.
The man fitting my boot smelled like booze and he had clearly been drinking. That should have been my first sign to get out. Learned my lesson.

This guys know there business!
When you need ski boots this is THE place to go. Yes, they are not sweet-​talking sales droids. But they know their stuff. Leif is the best boot fitter I’ve ever been to, and I’ve seen my share in 40+ years of skiing.
People complain of their prices. Prices actually are not bad, and considering that they’ll take care of any boot problems for the life of the boot and do it for free — it’s a bargain.
Good luck top the guy who came in to try boots and then bought them on line. Me — I’m not a manikin, and my feet are far from ideal shape, so I really appreciate a proper fitted boot.
I’ve also bought skis from them on several occasions and prices were also quite competitive. Ski equipment business being what it is you have to be realistic.
Oh, and ski tuning? They are the best, and have the best equipment and expertise by far on this coast, and maybe in the country.

This is the ONLY place to buy ski boots. I bought a pair of boots there a few seasons back. As I used them I discovered that the fit was off a bit. I went back, they widened them, and now they fit perfectly!

I came to Strand ski shop to find and customize a new pair of ski boots. I am a lifelong skier and certified ski instructor, but because my foot shape is unusual I always have a tough time getting boots that fit right and still perform. The service I received at Strand was exceptional. It was clear to me that all the employees were experts in their field, and my shopping experience was more like a conservation than a sales pitch. Although the shop was very busy and I probably spent more than two hours there, I never felt pressured to make a decision or speed up the process. In the end my customized boots fit perfectly, and I will definitely be back to Strand’s!

As an ex-​racer I have bought many, many ski boots. I went in there today looking for a high performance boot, more specifically the Head Vector or Challenger. They sized me as a 9.5 and then tried to offer me boots in a 26.5; which in mondo is 8.5. They didn’t have boots I came in to be fitted into/​buy in 26.5, obviously the wrong size to begin with. After being handed off by 2 salesmen, and listening to all the profanities concerning coworkers and the things wrong with the business in general, I was given to one last guy, who’s sat back on his heels, and said «which ones are you gonna buy? You’ve seen enough to know which ones you want… You aren’t gonna buy ‘me online are ya?» Of course I didn’t know what I was talking about by saying that they felt small… After the whole experience I was absolutely disgusted and got far enough away from this guy for him to go bother someone else, and I left. I had reservations about going there because of previous experiences years ago, but I guess nothing has changed and I will never return there either. If you want to be respected, listened to and fitted properly, don’t waste your time.

I’m reviewing a particular service of Strand’s. I went there specifically to get a pair of Strolz custom downhill ski boots. I was referred there by my brother, who had a pair fitted there about 12 years ago, and has raced in them every year. He absolutely loves them. The same fitter, Leif Mikkelsen, is still doing the fitting. He is probably the most experienced fitter you could find. He is also an owner, and it seems, the main problem solver for the shop. Contrary to a few reviews, I found it to be a very friendly shop. I do agree it is cluttered and old, but I liked the atmosphere. I was fitted very professionally, and the comfort of the boots, once finished, was outstanding. The process is well thought out, and, if you have trouble with finding comfortable boots, these are worth looking into. These are the type of boots you can really ski well in, and be comfortable, and warm!

Best ski shop around. These guys are the real deal. If you need good gear and want real advice, come here. Best tune up in town too

Went here twice. Two words, rude and over priced. Had my skis tuned once here. And another time I bought new boots and asked them to adjust my skis to the boots. They gave me attitude about not buying the boots there, that they don’t do that. I asked why and the guy got all pissy, so I told them to F off and that I would never be back. Want a good shop, with certified boot fitters? Then go to Ski Stop in Westwood. Its a little far, but they are nice and will take good care of you. Strands can suck it.

I recently called Strands to see about getting a boot fitting performed on a pair of boots I bought up at Stowe Mountain over the summer. Stowe was unable to perform the fitting since the main shop was closed for the summer but they highly recommended Strands.
After explaining my situation the boot fitter he was extremely rude to me to the point of dropping an F-​bomb on the phone as he informed me that he wouldn’t consider performing a boot fitting because the boots were purchased someplace else. His exact terms were that someone else got all of the «money» since I purchased my boots someplace else and all he would get out of the deal was «crumbs». I even tried to point out to the individual that their website states «If you currently have a ski boot that is giving you problems, bring it in and we will analyze your foot and the boot and give you an estimate on what we can do to make the boot fit you better or work on getting you into a new boot that fits your foot. Custom ski boot fitting takes time, so plan on spending some time so that our boot fitting specialists can make sure that you leave feeling like you can ski all day and not worry about quitting part of the way through a day of skiing because your foot is in pain.» Still he would not even budge on his refusal to consider the job and frankly I wouldn’t want to give someone like that any of my or my family’s business. Their loss.

There are not a lot of locally owned ski businesses in the area, so I really have tried to give Strand’s a couple different chances. However, in my various experiences in the store, I have never been treated courteously.
The first time I went, I was looking for some ski mittens. The man there tried his hardest to up-​sell me and get me to also buy a helmet. I didn’t end up purchasing there anyway, because their prices were so much higher than elsewhere.
The second time I went, I wanted to get my skis tuned. When I called to ask about price, the man who answered the phone was extremely condescending and rude on the phone, and then again in person when I ended up bringing them in.
Another time, my boot drier died, and I ended up at Strands because no other ski shop in the area carried the one I liked. I walked in and couldn’t find them, so I asked a woman behind the desk if they had any. The woman didn’t talk to me, in fact she barely looked up from what she was doing and pointed to the wall, and then made me wait to check out.
The last time I went, my husband was looking for a new helmet, so we went in to compare prices. It took about 15 minutes to get someone in the EMPTY shop to acknowledge us and help us. Then, again, it was rude all around. They treated us like we had stupid questions and had no idea what we were talking about.
The last straw? I called them recently to see if they could check my bindings, I was told absolutely not and the man then HUNG UP on me.
There are an array of reasons to not shop at Strands. I just can’t stand to be treated so disrespectfully when all I am trying to do is give them my business. I will gladly drive to Vermont to give their local ski shops my business from now on.

Here, you will not find a kid who looks like he should be working at Abercrombie and Fitch telling you what equipment to buy. This is a real ski shop, and it’s probably one of very few left in the country. Leif and Roy are experts when it comes to ski equipment and have been working with it their whole life. Leif is also one of the best, if not THE best boot fitter in the entire country. The whole staff there is very knowledgeable about all ski equipment, and I should also add that they are all really cool dudes who like to have a few drinks with you while you’re there! This place is awesome, and I will never bring my equipment anywhere else.

When you get tired of taking advice from some 16 year old kid who thinks he knows all because he stuck a rail once in the park at Wachusett Mountain, head to Strand’s. Techs who know what they are doing inside and out. There’s a reason these guys have stayed in business so long in the middle of the armpit of the ski universe, Worcester– and it’s not because their store is charming and clean. It looks like a mountain-rat’s basement. But when it comes to gear, that’s exactly who you want to listen to, isn’t it?

This is a great ski shop. They offer a great selection for most things. I particularly like their boot selection and service — frankly it is unmatched in the North East and probably one of the best boot fitters in the country. If your boots hurt you need to try this place.
As for the prices noted by one review — it’s because they sell quality equipment and provide outstanding service. If you want lower prices you can go to any number of places that will sell you lower quality products and provide a far lower level of service.

I brought my daughter to Strand’s to get her outfitted for the upcoming snowboard season. It was immediately apparent that Strand’s puts customer service first. We dealt with the owner, I believe his name is Dave, and he could not have been more helpful. Not only did he give us some great advice on equipment, he also never tried to up-​sell us anything. In fact, he gave us a deal on boots and bindings and saved us money! Strand’s is a laid back, no pressure kind if place. It is nice to know the person helping you really knows what they are doing. I am all about supporting local businesses, and in this case it really paid off. I would gladly recommend Strand’s to anyone and I would not consider going anywhere else for my winter sports needs.

Strand’s found a ski racing boot that properly fit my son, after he had pain from a new pair of race boots bought in NH. He couldn’t ski with his race team because of the pain. Leif and Mark looked at the new boots we had and saw the boot cuff material was too stiff for his size, and the boot was one size too large. They tried five different race boots on him, until they found a pair that he could flex and that felt good (Dalbello Scorpion). They also took an off-​the-​shelf boot insole and heat molded it to his foot for the new boot.
The whole process took over two hours, so plan for at least two hours when you go in for a boot fit. Try to go at a quieter time. We went on a Friday late afternoon but I would probably avoid mid-​day Saturday for a boot fitting. I was impressed with the boot inventory they had, as pair after pair came out in my son’s size. That said, great expertise in boot fitting isn’t free. The boots were comparably priced to what you’d find elsewhere, but not discounted. Also, don’t be turned off by the aged appearance of the shop, as knowledge, skill, and honesty is what you should come to Strand’s for… but it does not look like a ski shop you would find at a fancy resort. Our older daughter still uses a pair of boots Strand’s fitted her for over ten years ago when she was on a race team, and she says they still feel great. We also got a race helmet and helmet guard upstairs, and they had a good inventory in brands and sizes. We’ll be back when anyone in the family needs new boots, skis or other gear!

This place was recommended to me by a friend and loyal customer of Strand’s Ski Shop. There are no bells and whistles here, just people who do their job and do it well.
I got my skis tuned and adjusted earlier this week. I tried my skis out last night and loved it. I will definitely go back if I need any other work done. No bones about it, Strand’s Ski Shop is where to go.

I love winter sports! I also know that winter sports are NOT cheap. However, I do find it to be very pricey when compared to other places.
The staff is awesome! They know their stuff, and if you don’t see it, they are usually willing to order it if they can.
Been a customer for quite a while, and that will NOT change :)

The only ski shop in town and their prices show it, snow sports are expensive enough. They also don’t carry synthetic core equipment, so if your favorite company only makes wood core skis then you’re out of luck.
This place is very much stuck in the past and the old way of doing things and isn’t very progressive… think of your father’s ski shop.
2 stars because they have a great selection of ski boots, over priced but good to at least go and try on and then go online and buy them.

One of a handful of great, old-​school ski shops left. Leif and Roy are experts at what they do. No one can fit or build you a boot better then Leif can and no one can tune up your boards better then Roy. This is not a place you come to be ooed and awed, most of the time it is pretty cluttered and grimy but who cares, its a ski shop. My father used to work here as a kid and this is the only place I have ever gone for ski equipment. These guys are THE best.