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With great choice comes great responsibility, since not all ski bindings and ski boots are compatible. So do yourself a favor and spend as much time considering your ski bindings as you do the sexier pieces of gear (like those shiny new skis). Determine what type of binding you鈥檙e in the market for鈥攁lpine or alpine touring鈥攁nd what will work with the ski boots you鈥檙e eyeing or you already own. Refer to the ISO norms listed with each binding to determine what type of ski boot sole each is compatible with. The International Standards Organization (ISO) defines three types of ski boot sole standards : ISO 5355 (Alpine), ISO 9523 (Touring), and ISO 23223 (GripWalk).

With this in mind, peruse the following list of the most exciting new ski bindings to hit the shop shelves in 2024.

Related:

Alpine Bindings

Tyrolia Protector SLR 11 GW ($425)

ISO: 23223 (Alpine), 5355 (GripWalk)
Release Value Range: 3-11
Weight: 1,950g per pair
Brakes: Included (available widths: 80, 90, 100mm)

Female skiers have a higher chance of tearing a ligament than male skiers, thanks to several factors including the likely connection between high estrogen levels and a loosening of ligaments, like the ACL. Head addresses this issue with the Tyrolia Protector SLR, the newest addition to the Tyrolia Protector line. Considered a women鈥檚 all-mountain binding, the Protector SLR purportedly reduces the force on the ACL at the point of release by up to 50 percent. The technology offers an alternative to traditional bindings, thanks to Head鈥檚 Full Heel Release (FHR), which uses a heel piece that can release horizontally, thus reducing torque on the knee. The binding has a 3-11 DIN range, suitable for smaller skiers. All Head Joy skis are compatible with the Protector SLR, but the binding can also be purchased with the SLR plate and used on a flat ski.

Salomon Strive 16 MN ($350)

ISO: 5355 (Alpine), 23223 (GripWalk), 9523 (AT)
Release Value Range: 7-16
Weight: 2,250g per pair
Brakes: Included (available widths: 90, 100, 115, 130mm)

Want to wear alpine boots? No problem. Touring boots? Go for it. How about your GripWalk soles? Yes, yes and yes. Inclusivity is the Strive 16鈥檚 MO. As a Jack-of-all-trades, the Salomon Strive 16 MN offers all-mountain and freeride-oriented skiers a choice for boot compatibility as well as a wide DIN range (between 7-16) that suits a variety of skier builds and ability levels. Connectivity is key, and the low-profile toe piece and extra wide AFD (anti-friction device) keep skiers closer to the snow with better contact between the boot and binding, resulting in a more precise feel when leaving railroad tracks down steeps or groomers.

Salomon Strive 12 GW ($220)

ISO: 23223 (GripWalk), 5355 (Alpine)
Release Value Range: 4-12
Weight: 1,840g per pair
Brakes: Included (available widths: 90, 100, 115mm)

Lightweight and agile, the unisex Strive 12 GW is designed for intermediate all-mountain skiers looking for a binding with a DIN of 12 or under, plus compatibility with either alpine or Gripwalk boots. The 3-piece heel is easy to step in, and the neutral toe piece brings skiers lower to the snow for a close connection with the surface. The super wide toe pedal (yes, it鈥檚 called a pedal) and long wings (wings!) hug and stabilize the boot tip, so skiers can hug the corners at speed or huck a favorite jump with confidence.

Alpine Touring Bindings

Marker Cruise 12 ($650)

ISO: 9523 (AT)
Release Value Range: 6-12
Weight: 950g per pair
Brakes: Included (available widths: 90, 105mm)

New for 2024, the Cruise binding (available with a max release value of both 10 and 12) is Marker鈥檚 answer for younger, lighter skiers and those new to touring who may struggle with the finicky process of stepping into tech bindings. The Cruise isn鈥檛 quite as light as Marker鈥檚 Alpinist bindings, which weigh 670 grams per pair including the brakes, but they鈥檙e easier to use thanks to a few key features. First, the toe piece has a rubber stop pad and a wider platform insert, which helps position the toe of the boot correctly to click in more seamlessly (rubber is more flexible than metal, so it allows the skier to wiggle their boot around with less precision). Second, Marker claims that the Cruise requires 30 percent less force to step into the toe piece than the Alpinist, which is nice for lighter athletes. The heel also rotates by 180 degrees with an automatic brake release. Though the highest DIN setting is 12, we tested the Cruise on a 10-mile tour with over 5,000 feet of elevation gain in the Austrian backcountry in heavy, wet snow, and didn鈥檛 accidentally click out or pre-release from the binding once. Thoughtful details like the two color-coded heel-risers鈥攐ne that elevates to 8 degrees and the other to 12 degrees鈥攎ade using the Cruise a breeze. We give Marker bonus points for incorporating 85-percent recycled or bio-based plastics in the Cruise.

Salomon MTN Summit 12 BR ($600)

ISO: 9523 (AT)
Release Value Range: 6-12
Weight: 790g per pair
Brakes: Included (available widths: 80, 90, 100, 110, 120mm)

New backcountry skiers may suffer from choice overload when trying to figure out what binding is best. Enter the Salomon MTN Summit 12鈥攁 touring binding designed to provide an entry way into the tech binding world. All levels of experience can appreciate the easy step-in, no matter how steep or flat the terrain is. And when the going does get steep, the MTN Summit 12 BR鈥檚 heel ramp increases edge grip and stability on variable snow. Salomon鈥檚 Flex-absorption system optimizes a natural flex pattern with the ski, so skiers work less on the downhill after earning their turns. The carbon-infused plastic base plate reduces weight without sacrificing any performance.

More from the 2024 Winter Gear Guide

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Last winter, due to COVID, we decided to forgo a centralized testing event and instead set up pods in mountain towns throughout the country. The silver lining: each crew had weeks, not just five days, to tour in all the new models, netting even more time in walk mode. That extended window yielded more detailed feedback on uphill performance than we鈥檝e ever had. These are the bindings that made it through the gauntlet.听

Salomon S/Lab Shift MNC 13 ($600)

Four years ago, the Shift became the first tech binding to provide both resort performance and reliable backcountry utility. We still love it. Its baseline two-degree ramp angle in tour mode means you鈥檙e never walking on a flat platform, so testers found it more at home on short missions. 1.9 lbs

Fritschi Xenic 10 ($430)

Competition among tech-binding manufacturers has reduced cost but heightened innovation. The Xenic 10 is proof: it鈥檚 the lightest model Fritschi offers, stands up to all-day touring, and is the least expensive binding we tested. Plastic composite toe bumpers make lining up the boot鈥檚 tech pins easy and allow the toe to release quickly from tour mode. To keep weight down, the Xenic has one easily actuated 11-degree heel riser in tour mode. Brakes (85, 95, and 105 millimeters) are sold separately for $65. 9.9 oz

Plum Summit 12 ($609)

Forged in the shadow of France鈥檚 Mont Blanc, the 7075-aluminum Summit 12 replaces Plum鈥檚 Yak binding and with it the old-school twisting heel that doubled as the climbing ascender. Testers found the Summit 12 provided a damper ride than its predecessor thanks to a synthetic pad that makes contact with the boot just beneath the heel. The Summit does not have brakes, but it does fit skis up to 130 millimeters wide. The heel piece has 30 millimeters of adjustability. 15.7 oz

G3 Zed 9 ($478)

Simply twist the Zed 9鈥檚 heel 90 degrees to engage a walk mode with two heel risers. We appreciate the 30 millimeters of adjustability. Testers also noted how damp it skied on hard snow. Credit the ten millimeters of forward pressure, which allow the ski to flex more freely underfoot as the heelpiece moves slightly back and forth. Brakes (up to 130 millimeters) are available separately for $84. 12.2 oz

Marker Duke PT 12 ($700)

Marker鈥檚 answer to the seminal Salomon Shift is a great option for the skier who rides in-bounds 80 percent of the time but occasionally wants to poke into the backcountry. The Duke relies on a 颅removable toe to switch from 颅downhill to walk mode, an 颅arrangement that鈥檚 a little inconvenient but shaves 10.5 ounces per ski for the climb. Even in downhill mode, the 12 is less weighty than the 16 because it uses the lighter-spring heel of the Squire alpine binding rather than the heel from the beefy Jester and Griffon systems. 2.6 lbs (颅downhill), 1.9 lbs (uphill)

Dynafit Blacklight+ ($500)

The Blacklight+ may look minimalist, but don鈥檛 be fooled. It skis tough, thanks to a forged aluminum toe and stainless-steel heel pins, which offer maximal edging power in ski mode. It鈥檚 also the least expensive brake/binding setup in the test, perfect for day-in, day-out touring on narrow to mid-fat skis. The heel simply rotates 180 degrees from ski to tour mode, locking the brakes out in the process. Testers found the two aluminum ascenders (22 and 41 millimeters) easy to operate. 12 oz

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As 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Gear Guy, a lot of people ask me for gear advice, and guidance on听purchasing ski-touring bindings is one of the most common requests I get.听

First, an important caveat: be realistic. I鈥檝e fallen victim to unrealistic expectations of my own skiing ability and athleticism, and have ended up with skis, bindings, and boots听that were either way too light or way too heavy for my nonprofessional skill set. I suggest buying your first setup with the goal of having the most fun you can within your current ability level. If you grow out of them,听you can upgrade. In that growth process, you鈥檒l maximize your touring enjoyment. Here are a few details worth considering when looking for your next pair.听

Telemark Versus听Alpine-Touring Bindings

How much weed do you smoke? If the answer is anything less than听鈥淗ella weed,鈥� then stick with alpine-touring听产颈苍诲颈苍驳蝉.

Frame Versus Tech Bindings

Frame bindings closely resemble resort bindings and can be used with regular alpine ski boots as long as the boots have a walk mode. From first glance, they can look nearly identical to resort bindings, except for a frame that spans toe to听heel, keeping听it attached to your boot when you unlock the heel to climb.听

Tech bindings have two separate pieces鈥攐ne at the toe and one at the heel鈥攁nd, for the most part, two toe pins that grab your boot on either side. You need boots specifically made for tech bindings, or boots with tech inserts, to use these.听

While it may be tempting to get frame bindings so you can keep your current boots, I suggest getting tech bindings if you have the money. Frame bindings are heavy and make long tours miserable, which is compounded if you鈥檙e using resort boots. If you鈥檙e an extremely aggressive skier, there are some seriously burly tech bindings and boots out there for you.听

Weight Versus Performance

Every decision you make in your backcountry ski kit will have some level of push and pull between weight (uphill) and performance (downhill). There are some amazing products that are closer to delivering the best of both worlds, but at the end of the day, you always take a weight penalty for downhill ability. Again, this is a great opportunity to be honest with yourself and your skiing skills. If you aren鈥檛 skimo racing or making massive approaches to objectives, you probably don鈥檛 need the lightest binding听on the market. Unless you are hucking cliffs or skiing in no-fall zones, you probably don鈥檛 need the beefiest. But unnecessarily heavy bindings will make climbs less fun. Buy for the skiing that is the most fun for you now. If you鈥檙e听more excited about the fitness aspect of the climb, go lighter. The same applies if you are more interested in pushing your skiing. Just don鈥檛 go to extremes in your purchase.听

DIN Setting

A lot of folks are hyper focused on having bindings with a really high DIN setting听(the higher the number, the more force it takes to release in a fall), even when they don鈥檛 need it. I always remind my friends that you want your bindings to release. There are, of course, skiers who are hucking cliffs or regularly skiing exposed lines in which unwanted separation from their skis would be catastrophic. If you鈥檙e not one of those skiers, you don鈥檛 need a binding with a 15 DIN setting. You can save yourself a lot of money and weight by being reasonable about how high your DIN setting should actually be.听

Boot Compatibility

If you鈥檙e听buying a pair of bindings听online, quadruple-check that the ones听you鈥檙e buying are compatible with the boots you have or are purchasing. Some brands, or models within brands, aren鈥檛 compatible with bindings from other brands. This is an extremely frustrating听and potentially expensive听oversight to discover after you鈥檝e had skis mounted with bindings.

Ski Compatibility

Make sure your bindings are powerful enough to drive whatever ski you鈥檙e pairing them with. If you have big, heavy skis that are more than 100 millimeters underfoot, don鈥檛 try and make up a few ounces by getting really lightweight bindings.

Brakes

While brakes add weight and are yet another thing to break on a binding, I swear by them. If I fall, I really want my skis to release and also travel away from my body as I tumble. Leashes keep the skis attached to your boots,听which terrifies me, but听no protection means your skis can become waxed torpedoes that may disappear into the woods or impale anyone in their trajectory. There are definitely cases, like in serious ski-mountaineering objectives, in which brakes wouldn鈥檛 do you any good and would just add weight. If you are a more casual enthusiast, brakes will serve you very well.

Let a听Pro Mount Them

Anyone with the right tools and the correct template can mount a touring binding, but enough can go wrong that I suggest you leave it to the pros鈥攁t least for your first set. I also recommend getting them mounted at a shop that will test to see if they are releasing correctly. Placing this important part of the process in the hands of professionals will keep you safer and give you peace of mind.

Tinker, Tinker, Tinker

One of the best pieces of advice I received when I had my first Dynafit bindings听mounted was to mess around with them in my living room before I took them out skiing;听finding out how to get in and out of them, transitioning from climb to ski mode, and messing with the risers in the comfort of your home is significantly better than trying to figure all that听out on a cold skin track with a group of your buddies waiting on you. I cannot stress enough how much easier this will make your first touring experiences, and even if you can鈥檛 ski regularly, you can get to know your gear well if you tinker with it in your house.

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In a for the听ski industry,听Dynafit is extending its tech-binding听warranty from two to ten years. (Warranties from other听manufacturers range from one to three years.)听The brand is calling the new policy a lifetime warranty,听referring to the expected decade-long lifetime of the product. It will apply to bindings purchased during or after the 2019鈥�20 蝉别补蝉辞苍.听

For more than 30听years, Dynafit has tracked听how its听bindings perform, how often they are warrantied,听and how long they are typically used. (The brand was the first to debut听pin-style tech bindings,听.)听It听used that data to determine听how long to extend the听guarantee.听Ross Herr, the brand鈥檚 sales and marketing manager, says听the timing of this decision is a response to improvements in manufacturing that have resulted in increased durability.听鈥淲e have seen this huge reduction in breakage and warranty over the past several years,鈥� says Herr. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 see problems within the ten-year expected lifespan of the binding.鈥�

The shift comes at a time when other major brands, including L.L.Bean and REI, are reeling over听replacement policies.听

鈥淚t says a lot to have them go from a two- to a ten-year [warranty], because they鈥檙e like, We鈥檙e still the best,听we鈥檙e still what everybody wants to be,鈥� says Nate Protsman, manager and ski tech at the Estes Park Mountain Shop in Colorado. 鈥淚t says a lot about the confidence they have in their product.鈥�听

Herr explains that it听reflects informal practices Dynafit has had in place for a while: the company has serviced听its听products long after the original two-year window expired, in an effort to keep customers in the backcountry and using their gear.听

Turning that unspoken practice into official听policy is a way for the brand to differentiate itself in an听increasingly crowded听product category.听Dynafit is one of only two brands听to have had tech bindings on the market for ten years. Until 2005, it held a key patent, preventing competitors from adapting its听own pin-style systems. G3 capitalized on the patent鈥檚 expiration and , , in early 2009. Since then, most major binding听brands have come out with their own versions of the tech binding. With the launch of the听innovative听Shift听in 2018,听Salomon has pioneered a new kind of touring binding that achieves better downhill performance with minimal weight penalty, further increasing competition in the category.听

The new warranty states that Dynafit will repair or replace any registered bindings听that fail due to manufacturer defects during the time frame. With good care and normal use, the company says that skiers听can expect their bindings to last through the end of the new warranty. What if听your bindings are installed correctly and aren鈥檛 misused听but听break after an off-piste yard sale five years in? 鈥淲e鈥檝e got you covered,鈥� Herr says. If they fall off your ski rack and get run over by a car? 鈥淏ummer, no,鈥� he says.听鈥淏ut we will likely sell you a spare part for a really great price to hopefully ease the pain.鈥�

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Salomon S/Lab Shift MNC 13 ($725)

The Shift wowed testers last year by morphing from an uphill tech touring binding into a full-bore alpine stalwart on descent. This year鈥檚 iteration is unchanged (except for a $75 price jump). It鈥檚 still the only model that blends the confidence to stomp huge lines with the kind of weight savings that lets you skin up and do it again (and again). 1.9 lbs

G3 Zed 12 ($499)

G3 put its 2018 tester-favorite Ion on a diet. The resulting Zed is lighter and retains the category-leading spring-loaded tech jaws for unrivaled hold. At the heel, the stock Zed sheds weight by forgoing brakes (add them for $84; they鈥檙e rattly but functional) and allows for 30 millimeters of adjustment to accommodate a range of boot sizes. 1 lb

Black Diamond Helio 145 ($500)

Made in Italy, the Helio 145 is Black Diamond鈥檚 second-lightest no-frills aluminum-alloy binding. BD avoided any features that raised the weight, and there鈥檚 just a basic climbing mode鈥攖he ascender bar flips over the heel posts. And don鈥檛 expect brakes. 5 oz

Marker Kingpin M-Werks 12 ($729)

The wizards at Marker brought the toughness of the dependable Kingpin and the low weight of the Alpinist into a clamp for the touring masses. A nice middle ground (save for the price), the M-Werks is 鈥渟olid in chop, crud, and firm snow,鈥� said one tester. 1.4 lbs

Fritschi Swiss Tecton 12 ($650)

鈥淭ech at its most tech,鈥� a veteran tester quipped of the Tecton. It鈥檚 got the industry鈥檚 only adjustable toe release. And the step-in, alpine-oriented heel switches from alpine to AT with a simple push or pull of your pole, allowing you to transition from up to down without doffing the ski. 1.4 lbs

Dynafit TLT Speedfit ($450)

Dynafit invented the tech category, and it continues to set the standard for reliability, weight, simplicity, and price. The Speedfit is its least-expensive ultralight binding. With both vertical and lateral release, it鈥檚 among the safest, too. 10 oz

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Dynafit ST Rotation 10 ($600)

Several years ago, the brand that launched the tech revolution in the eighties introduced a turntable heel to prevent pre-release. The new Rotation improves upon that model, with a centering function at the toe that makes lining up the back of your boot with the heelpiece more precise. 2.2 lbs

Salomon Shift MNC ($650)

The Shift, developed in collaboration with Atomic, is like no other binding ever made. It has an alpine-inspired step-in heel and a tech toe for climbing that, with the flip of a lever, morphs into a traditional alpine toe for the ride down. Testers deemed it the most confidence-inspiring tech binding available. 3.8 lbs

Marker Alpinist 12 ($449)

A certain confidence comes with clicking into a binding from a brand known for reliability in the alpine world. Enter the Alpinist, Marker鈥檚 foray into high-speed ascending. Unlike many clamps in its weight class, the Alpinist features step-in ease and two ascending positions鈥攆ive and nine degrees鈥攚here other bindings have only one. 1.1 lbs

Black Diamond Helio 145 ($500)

Built for Black Diamond by venerable Italian binding manufacturer ATK, the Helio 145 fits the 眉ber-light, skimo-oriented Helio line of planks to a T. Made from machined aluminum and stainless steel, it鈥檚 the second lightest of BD鈥檚 four Helio bindings and just about as stripped-down as you can get. (Read: no brake option here.) 10.2 oz

Fritschi Tecton 12 ($650)

The Swiss-made Tecton remains one of the few tech bindings with adjustable toe and heel release. While testers deducted points for plastic, the Tecton鈥檚 overall retention and ski-pole-actuated simplicity scored well for ease of use and quick transitions. Testers also raved about the dynamic feel of the binding in downhill mode, afforded by built-in dampening at the toe and heel. 2.4 lbs

Atomic Backland Tour ($625)

You can get it brakeless, but testers preferred the extra security in the event of a runner. Both come with an easy ski-to-tour-mode changeover that doesn鈥檛 require spinning the heelpiece. Instead, use your pole to flip a lever under your boot that locks the brakes up for climbing. Flip the lever back down, stomp into the pins, and you鈥檙e ready to ski. 1.8 lbs

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If you own a set of 2017/18 Kingpin 10 or 13 bindings, Marker to send them back for repair. The ski brand issued a voluntary recall for those two specific models after quality-control testing听revealed that the front pins could break, causing the bindings to release under lower-than-desirable forces and posing an increased risk of falls. The release did not specify how, exactly, the bindings could break and whether that would render them useless immediately.听

The Kingpin binding is one of the most widely used touring bindings on the market (we鈥檝e rated it as one of the best backcountry ski bindings in our Winter Buyer鈥檚 Guide two years in a row) thanks to its combination of light weight and downhill security. Those qualities have made it a popular choice for skiers who want to go fast and light while still charging hard on the way back down鈥攅xactly the circumstances under which a skier is cranking on her skis, and relying on her bindings to withstand those forces.

In a press release sent out this week, Kingpin explained that the company found the defective pins in a limited number of Kingpin 10 and 13 bindings听from 2017/18. 鈥淲e are aware of our responsibility as a manufacturer when it comes to safety, especially with regard to ski touring in the backcountry,鈥� the release stated. 鈥淭his is why after extensive and serious testing and evaluation we decided to recall the whole population of the 2017/18 model, even if the problem only affects very few bindings.鈥�

Customers who have bindings from that year are encouraged to send them back to Marker to have the pins replaced at no charge. (The new bindings are easily identifiable, because Marker recently changed its logo. Kingpins with the new logo are the only ones subject to the recall.)

国产吃瓜黑料 reached out to Kingpin for more information on how the issue with the new bindings happened, why it was only discovered after the bindings had already gone on sale,听and what is being done to correct it in future versions of the Kingpin, but didn鈥檛 hear back before publication. We鈥檒l update this story if more information arises. In the meantime, Kingpin owners: get those bindings checked.

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Over听the past few years, ski companies have begun pouring R&D听money into alpine-touring bindings. Their goal: Create a model that's听light and efficient enough to tour in, but has the safety features and downhill performance of a traditional alpine binding.

Recently, some have听gotten pretty close. Three years ago, Marker released the Kingpin, the first pin binding to incorporate听an alpine-style heel piece, which added strength and security to an efficient听touring platform. This year, Fritschi听launched the Tecton, which also听has an alpine heel, but features a听pin toe-piece that, as with an alpine binding, releases laterally, allowing the boot to detach听from the ski in a crash.听

Now there's the 听($650), a new touring binding created by Salomon and Atomic that claims to work equally well at听the resort and in the backcountry. After spending two days using the S/Lab Shift at Alta, including a two-hour long skin, making turns in foot-deep powder, and racing down groomers, I'm inclined to agree with them.听听

“The Shift is all about no compromises,” says pro skier and Salomon athlete Cody Townsend. “Essentially what we've created听is a听binding that听tours with the efficiency of a pin听binding,听but听skis听downhill with the security of an alpine binding. It's the holy grail of bindings.”

The Shift is what you'd get if a and a pin binding听had a kid. Made of aluminum and a proprietary carbon reinforced plastic, the Shift weighs only 865 grams per binding and has a DIN range of 6-13. It's also compatible with all boot norms, meaning it works with nearly every adult ski boot out there.听In touring mode, it uses pins for听efficiency. To transition to听downhill mode, just flip听a blue lever in the middle of the toe piece to fold the pins out of the way, and then听the toe piece clamps to the boot like a normal alpine binding. This is different than the Kingpin and Tecton, which use pins to secure the ski boot toe, even on the downhill. In back, the S/Lab Shift has an alpine style heel, very similar to that of Salomon's venerable STH2 alpine binding.听

Most notably, the S/Lab Shift听is听the only non-frame touring binding to be TUV certified听to alpine safety standards. In other words, it's just as safe as any alpine binding. This is due, in part, to the 47 millimeters of elasticity, or flex, in the toe which helps it release smoothly during a crash so there's zero reason to lock it out. (For reference, normal pin bindings have zero elasticity while the STH2听has 52 millimeters of elasticity.)听

At Alta, I started the听day with a two-hour skin to the top of the Supreme lift. The binding's 90-degree range of motion provided by the pins, plus the two risers set at two degrees and 10 degrees听made it easy to move up steeper pitches and make kick turns. Although it wasn't revolutionary, overall the uphill felt good, like a normal pin binding.

The downhill is where the Shift truly shines, though I should note that transitioning to downhill mode takes some practice. There's an extra step to the process and it's different than any other binding, but after a few times it's easy to get the hang of. The best part was hearing the audible “click” when stepping into the binding in downhill mode. There was an immediate sense of security and confidence.听

Early season conditions meant that even the best looking, powder-covered slopes were deceiving. I watched one tester ski听directly into a snow-covered rock.听The binding ejected cleanly, sending him flying down the slope, unhurt.听

On groomers, pin bindings feel different than alpine ones. The lack of elasticity makes pin models jarring and turning feels harsh and abrasive. After all, the only thing that's holding the toe of the boot are听two small metal pins. The Shift, on the other hand, didn't have any of those issues. Pushing my听skis hard and making large, GS-style turns felt great. In fact, it felt exactly like an alpine binding.听

There's no way these bindings can be perfect, but after two days of skiing them hard in varied conditions, it's hard to find something to complain about. They handled groomers and crud with ease and Townsend and fellow Salomon athlete Chris Rubens spun and flipped without hesitation. The S/Lab Shift won't be on sale until September 2018, so there are lots of opportunities for testing in the meantime.

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With an upgraded toe release combined with a traditional alpine heel, this binding has exceptional power transmission. We were excited to give the Fritschi Techton 12 binding a Gear of the Show award at this year's OR Winter Market.

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A lightweight binding system that transformed backcountry skiing and put telemarking on the path to obsolescence. The Tech was developed by Austrian and introduced in Europe in 1984 by , though it was slow to catch on in North America. The relatively bare-bones binding, which includes a front piece with two small pins that lock into a user鈥檚 boot, allowed alpine skiers to free their heels for touring and then lock them in for descents. Dynafit held the patent on the bindings until 2007, and now , , and others have joined the fray.
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