NEWS

Innovation in binding technology has largely focused on solving one question: How do you make a pin binding, which is great for touring uphill, better and safer for skiing?
Pin bindings, while efficient, do not clamp down or release a ski boot like an alpine binding, so they don't ski as well and they are not as safe. There are a few answers on the market, like a heel piece that resembles an alpine binding or elasticity added to the toe piece. And yet, most people who tour with pin bindings still choose to forego safety label recommendations and lock the toe piece before skiing their chosen line.
Salomon spent the last seven years thinking about this quandary and invested in research and development to find an answer: A binding that has as much power on the descent as an alpine binding, tours efficiently like a pin binding, releases safely, and is cost effective and light weight. At a media event at Alta, Utah, this week, the French company finally unveiled what they have been working on: The S/Lab Shift. Atomic, Salomon’s sibling owned by the same parent company Amer Sports, also features the binding.