How Dion Snowshoes Began

From Ultramarathons to Snowshoe Design

In the quiet town of Readsboro, Vermont, what began as one man’s obsession with endurance and performance evolved into a company that would reshape the world of snowshoe racing. Dion Snowshoes was founded by Bob Dion—a nationally recognized ultramarathon runner—who took his competitive drive and engineering instincts and channeled them into building one of the most respected snowshoe brands in North America.

Designing a Better Snowshoe

Long before he became a snowshoe designer, Bob was a fixture in the ultra-distance running world. “I’ve done a lot of hundred-milers,” he told the Bennington Banner in 2003, reflecting on a career that included countless trail races, national records, and recognition as one of Trail Runner Magazine’s “10 Legends of Trail Running.” But in the late ’90s, after trying his first snowshoe race, Bob realized something wasn’t right.

“The snowshoes were heavy, clunky, and you’d bang your ankles with every stride,” he recalled in a later interview with WCAX-TV in Burlington, Vermont. For a sport growing in popularity, the gear hadn’t caught up. Instead of adapting his stride to the shoes, Bob decided to adapt the shoes to his stride.

Calling himself “an engineer without a degree,” Bob began tinkering in his Vermont workshop. He envisioned a modular snowshoe: a frame, cleat, and binding system that could be customized for each runner’s style and terrain. His biggest innovation was the binding — which offers a snug fit, fewer pressure points and limits lateral movement for better control and stability. The modular design allows the frame, binding and cleat to be replaced individually, without having to discard the entire shoe.

 

Launching the Brand

In 2002, Dion Snowshoes officially launched its first models. The initial sales trickled in, fueled mostly by word of mouth in the tight-knit snowshoe racing community. Bob, his wife Denise, and their son Craig all pitched in, working nights and weekends to fulfill orders. “Craig puts in a lot of hours at very little pay,” Bob said in an early 2003 interview, underscoring how homegrown the business truly was. His brother Thomas even helped maintain the website. It was a family effort, and a leap of faith.

Commitment to Vermont Manufacturing

 

Operating out of Readsboro, then in North Bennington and now in Pownal, Vermont. The Dions stayed committed to keeping production local. “We want to stay in Vermont,” Bob said. “That’s part of the story—we build our products here, and we believe in this place.”

Dion's commitment to local production extends throughout the process. Many snowshoe parts are bent or stamped in-house, and the manufacturing team makes a conscious effort to source other components locally or within the USA. Each snowshoe is then meticulously hand-assembled with precision and care, a hallmark of the brand that continues to this day. The Dion-believe this approach ensures the highest quality product for customers and strengthens its connection to the community.

 

Designed for Snowshoe Racing, Built to Last

As the sport evolved, so did Dion’s designs. The brand quickly became a staple at snowshoe races across the U.S. and Canada. Racers appreciated the performance edge and the ability to fine-tune their setup for different conditions — something mass-produced snowshoes couldn’t match. When national snowshoe specifications shrank (from 8×25" to a max of 120 square inches), Dion Snowshoes didn’t need to play catch-up — they were already ahead.

By the late 2000s, the company began seeing double-digit annual growth, with some years jumping as much as 60% in sales. But Dion Snowshoes never lost its core values: durability, performance, and craftsmanship. Even as international orders came in, each model was still being made in Vermont, and Bob himself continued racing in his own shoes—real-world testing under the harshest conditions.

 

A New Chapter: Merging with NeviTREK

 

In 2019, the company entered a new chapter. Dion Snowshoes merged with NeviTREK Snowshoes, an artisan brand based in the Adirondacks. The union expanded the product line to include both elite-level racing snowshoes and rugged recreational models, while maintaining the same hand-crafted quality and small-batch ethos. The combined brand, now known as Dion-NeviTREK Snowshoes, continues to manufacture all its snowshoes in the U.S., serving athletes, adventurers, and everyday winter walkers alike.

Today, Dion Snowshoes stands as a rare success story in outdoor gear—a brand that’s never compromised on quality or handed off production overseas. It's racer-tested, and still built on Bob Dion’s original insight: that good gear shouldn’t get in the way of great performance.

“There are three reasons why something’s never been done,” Bob once said. “And if you get rid of those reasons, you can do it.” That mindset—equal parts grit, creativity, and courage—is what built Dion Snowshoes. That mindset has stayed with the company—not as a slogan, but as a way of working. It shows up in every design choice, every customer conversation, and every snowshoe that leaves the shop.