Big Mountain
In 2008, NTN turned a thousand years of freeheel thinking on its head. No more duckbilled boot toe. Instead, NTN鈥坅dded a safety-release system, step-in convenience, unprecedented downhill power, and free-pivot touring function. Rottefella lives up to its name, which means “rat trap” in Norwegian. But Americans have been slow to buy in. That was then. With nine boot options at this year’s test, one convert summed it up like this: “If it’s time for new tele boots, it’s time to buy the whole NTN system. Nothing else comes close.” The only gripe: The binding allows for only 30 degrees of free-pivot motion for climbing. 4 lbs;
Tourability: 3
Power: 5