Salomon S/Lab Shift 13 MN Ski Binding - Black | Ski Bindings

I was very into the initial hype when these first came out and bought them as soon as they were available. After skiing them on a few different pairs of skis over 100 days or so I can say they are pretty junk.In bounds, they are almost too elastic and don't feel nearly as secure as most bindings, they do have better power transfer than any pin binding I've used though. The brakes are also very flimsy and don't hold the skis together well.As for touring performance, they are pretty darn heavy, and hard to go more than one transition without having icing problems in the toe and brake, which pre-releases often. They also are flimsy feeling when putting any torque on the toe in something like a steep kick turn.I would only recommend these to someone who rarely ... MoreI was very into the initial hype when these first came out and bought them as soon as they were available. After skiing them on a few different pairs of skis over 100 days or so I can say they are pretty junk.In bounds, they are almost too elastic and don't feel nearly as secure as most bindings, they do have better power transfer than any pin binding I've used though. The brakes are also very flimsy and don't hold the skis together well.As for touring performance, they are pretty darn heavy, and hard to go more than one transition without having icing problems in the toe and brake, which pre-releases often. They also are flimsy feeling when putting any torque on the toe in something like a steep kick turn.I would only recommend these to someone who rarely tours in any kind of powder, skis at least 90% of the time in bounds, and is very concerned about release values. I strongly recommend getting tech bindings if you are on the fence.

The holy grail of touring bindings is a binding that skis like a Look Pivot 18 and walks like a race binding. Is this it? No. Is it close? Kind of.First, walk mode performance:Obviously these things weigh way more than any race binding (or even regular touring binding) and you'll feel that on long days. But they otherwise feel like any other pin binding in regular use. That being said, they have a few drawbacks in my mind. 1) The heel riser is less easy to use than the flippy risers on most bindings and there's only one riser height. 2) You can sometimes walk out of the toe. Even if you lock the toe to the second click (which takes a decent amount of force) the toes can come unclamped when stomping to edge into harder snow or a breakable crust. This has never ... MoreThe holy grail of touring bindings is a binding that skis like a Look Pivot 18 and walks like a race binding. Is this it? No. Is it close? Kind of.First, walk mode performance:Obviously these things weigh way more than any race binding (or even regular touring binding) and you'll feel that on long days. But they otherwise feel like any other pin binding in regular use. That being said, they have a few drawbacks in my mind. 1) The heel riser is less easy to use than the flippy risers on most bindings and there's only one riser height. 2) You can sometimes walk out of the toe. Even if you lock the toe to the second click (which takes a decent amount of force) the toes can come unclamped when stomping to edge into harder snow or a breakable crust. This has never happened to me in any other touring binding with the toe locked over hundreds of days of touring, and is quite annoying and could potentially be catastrophic (i.e. if you're on an icy slope and the ski slides away). 3) The brakes don't stay stowed. I don't know why this is so hard to make work properly, but the brakes on these deploy just frequently enough to make it annoying.As for downhill performance:Like uphill performance, in normal use these are great. They aren't quite as confidence inspring as Pivots in chunder, but they ski significantly better than any other touring binding that I've skied. When you stay attached to them at least. And therein lies the problem - I'm one of the unlucky ones who has had major issues with pre-releases on my shifts. I've had them adjusted by two well respected shops, and I've adjusted them myself (I normally mount and adjust all of my bindings on my own but wanted to double check that I wasn't just making a stupid mistake that was causing this). In addition to trying the proper setup, I've also tried upping my DIN, Cody Townsend's method of of adjusting the AFD, and adjusting the AFD far higher up than it's meant to be. In all cases I experienced pre-releases, including once on the transition in between drops on a double cliff drop. That wasn't fun. The problem is that the AFD would, over the course of a day, drop down in height. No matter what I did it would always do this. So at the start of the day it would be set properly and ski fine, but after an hour or two the AFD would drop and I would start pre-releasing. I would adjust it back to the proper height (or even a step or two - or in an extreme case of frustration, several steps) above the proper height) but it would always sink back down.I know a lot of people have had a lot of success with Shifts. Maybe the techs at the shops I visited were jongs and I'm a complete idiot and none of us adjusted the bindings properly. Or maybe a small (but large enough that there are many reports on the internet of the same) fraction of Shifts have issues with the AFD. Either way, after taking many a big fall due to pre-release on these guys, I have lost faith in their ability to keep me attached to my skis.Shifts are an incredible idea, and I really hope that they can make something like this work properly in the future, but for now I'm going to stick to regular touring bindings (and maybe a CAST setup for rowdier days if and when I can afford it).

The Good: It skis like an alpine bindingThe Bad: It's heavy, and when not set up properly is prone to preleasing. It's also a little more complicated to transition than a true tech binding.The shift gets a lot of hate from Facebook groups, and I'm sure the crew at Skimo cringes whenever someone walks in the door asking for one, but they do have a few great use cases:1. On an (mostly) alpine ski that can go on shorter tours or is used for sidecountry missions.2. For very fit individuals who want a one-ski-quiver3. For people who want the safety of an alpine binding in the backcountry, and are not worried about some extra weight.4. For people who backcountry ski in more visited places or low-snow areas and aren't skiing fresh snow. Sure you could make the ... MoreThe Good: It skis like an alpine bindingThe Bad: It's heavy, and when not set up properly is prone to preleasing. It's also a little more complicated to transition than a true tech binding.The shift gets a lot of hate from Facebook groups, and I'm sure the crew at Skimo cringes whenever someone walks in the door asking for one, but they do have a few great use cases:1. On an (mostly) alpine ski that can go on shorter tours or is used for sidecountry missions.2. For very fit individuals who want a one-ski-quiver3. For people who want the safety of an alpine binding in the backcountry, and are not worried about some extra weight.4. For people who backcountry ski in more visited places or low-snow areas and aren't skiing fresh snow. Sure you could make the argument that with a lighter setup they could walk farther and avoid crowds - but this isn't always as easy as it seems.

Awful touring, great skiing

Skip buying these bindings if you plan on touring for more than 15-30 minutes a session. They're awful in touring mode. Toe lever won't stay locked and default flops to open... no problem unless you want your ski to stay on your boot when you're going up hill. Brake won't consistently stay up in tour mode, so not only are you lugging heavy bindings up the hill, you're also dragging the brake. Flip side, these things fully ski like an alpine binding. The design is ingenious, but its embarrassingly unreliable in the field (sorry engineers!). Transitions require more work than most touring bindings, but they ski really well and are worth it for the down. Don't buy this binding if you want to go on proper ski tours. Do buy this binding if you are at a resort 98% of the ... MoreSkip buying these bindings if you plan on touring for more than 15-30 minutes a session. They're awful in touring mode. Toe lever won't stay locked and default flops to open... no problem unless you want your ski to stay on your boot when you're going up hill. Brake won't consistently stay up in tour mode, so not only are you lugging heavy bindings up the hill, you're also dragging the brake. Flip side, these things fully ski like an alpine binding. The design is ingenious, but its embarrassingly unreliable in the field (sorry engineers!). Transitions require more work than most touring bindings, but they ski really well and are worth it for the down. Don't buy this binding if you want to go on proper ski tours. Do buy this binding if you are at a resort 98% of the time and want to exit a gate and hit a run and skin back. Salomon service didn't reply to an email asking for suggestions or tips with the issues. Will be returning to REI for something that is reliable.

Dangerous! Do not buy

Two days in Backcountry. On climbing the heal piece released several times. Have to completely clear all snow to get it to click in place only to have it happen again. 3 of 10 skiers had these and one guy lost the heal brake piece. Other person had my exact problem. Walking out isn’t fun.Downhill: prerelease frequently. Put din way up and still pops under load. Tore calf ended my season. Ski brakes do nothing. Both skies 200 feet below. Dangerous. Almost lost one on a slight hill stepping in.

Hot garbage!

These are rubbish. Just Google Salomon Shift Prerelease and you'll find dozens of Reddit and other forum posts about the issue. I am a solid intermediate skier, I don't do anything extreme. I find these are completely useless on anything but a pristine groomer with the snow we get in the PNW. I had a bunch of early releases and did all the suggested fixes like adjust AFD, forward pressure and cranking the DIN up. I also took them to the shop to have them tested and adjusted but nothing helped. Today, I lost a ski on my second run of the day thanks to these stupid bindings. I found the brake down slope but the ski is a goner. If you like gear that works, stay far away for these.

Outstanding

I have owned these bindings for two seasons, and they are mated to Head Kore skis.I haven’t done too much back country skiing yet. I use them downhill with Scarpa Maestrale AT boots (not the ultra lights).I bought them because my boot -binding- ski package weighs about a pound less on each foot, compared to a strictly alpine package. It?s less stress and less effort to ski, and ski better with lighter equipment under foot, and obviously you can use them in the backcountry.I am compelled to write a review as I have read complaints about their durability and the boots ability to stay clamped in downhill.After two seasons, I can personally attest the possibility of a boot popping out of these bindings in downhill mode is ZERO.They are bomb proof bindings. I ... MoreI have owned these bindings for two seasons, and they are mated to Head Kore skis.I haven’t done too much back country skiing yet. I use them downhill with Scarpa Maestrale AT boots (not the ultra lights).I bought them because my boot -binding- ski package weighs about a pound less on each foot, compared to a strictly alpine package. It?s less stress and less effort to ski, and ski better with lighter equipment under foot, and obviously you can use them in the backcountry.I am compelled to write a review as I have read complaints about their durability and the boots ability to stay clamped in downhill.After two seasons, I can personally attest the possibility of a boot popping out of these bindings in downhill mode is ZERO.They are bomb proof bindings. I am not an expert skier so I don’t have these bindings set at high tension.They are set at a 6 or 7 DIN and they aren’t going anywhere. If I have to hack down the steeper portion of a black diamond, the last thing I worry about is the bindings.Downhill, I would pit these bindings against ANY alpine binding for reliability unless you are a professional Super G skier exerting insane forces on your boot.I would be curious what a professional free styler thinks of these bindings.As to reliability, my bindings get abused.I see no possibility of them breaking unless you subject them to extreme abuse. Having said that, I would be careful about the process of converting the binding from downhill to touring. I can see an impatient skier using a pole or a tool and snapping the front fittings.Finally, I weigh 190 so I am not exactly a bantam weight skier. The bindings are bomb ProofJust don’t abuse the fittings

Save Yourself the Frustration

I've skied on these ~40 days per season for the last 3 seasons both in and out of bounds in the Sierras. In the resort and as a pure downhill alpine binding, I have very few qualms with the performance of these bindings. However as soon as you take these things to the skin track, the binding's flaws become painfully apparent.First, if there is ANY snow in the pin holes of your boots, the toe piece will not lock into place. Even if there isn't snow, the toe pieces still occasionally will not lock. I've resorted to looping a voile strap between my boot buckle and binding toe piece every time I transition to walk mode.Second, the brakes deploy frequently while in walk mode. This leads to stopping multiple times on climbs to stomp the brakes down, only to have them ... MoreI've skied on these ~40 days per season for the last 3 seasons both in and out of bounds in the Sierras. In the resort and as a pure downhill alpine binding, I have very few qualms with the performance of these bindings. However as soon as you take these things to the skin track, the binding's flaws become painfully apparent.First, if there is ANY snow in the pin holes of your boots, the toe piece will not lock into place. Even if there isn't snow, the toe pieces still occasionally will not lock. I've resorted to looping a voile strap between my boot buckle and binding toe piece every time I transition to walk mode.Second, the brakes deploy frequently while in walk mode. This leads to stopping multiple times on climbs to stomp the brakes down, only to have them redeploy less than 5 minutes later.Additional (and less important) cons regarding this binding are: only 1 heel riser setting, heavy weight, and needing to remove your ski to transition.I would not recommend this binding unless you are someone looking for a single quiver setup or are only planning to ski hard in the backcountry a few days a year. Given how much tech bindings have improved, there are plenty of other touring bindings out there that you can still charge hard on with out sacrificing for all the inconveniences of the shift.

Unreliable, Dangerous - DO NOT BUY

I have these bindings for 2 seasons. Last season I skied about 10 times. I have used them only on slopes and never used their walking function. I am about 140 pounds so I put hardly any pressure on these bindings, nevertheless the materials they used are in such a low quality that it started to break so one of my bindings now stays always on walking mode. Searching on the forums, I found several people complaining about this and it looks like this problem is common because materials are so low quality that they break down and the mechanism stops working as they suppose to.Because of this I faced myself in several dangerous situations where my binding toe piece just popped while skiing. I got new bindings than finding myself in unfortunate situations.I am really ... MoreI have these bindings for 2 seasons. Last season I skied about 10 times. I have used them only on slopes and never used their walking function. I am about 140 pounds so I put hardly any pressure on these bindings, nevertheless the materials they used are in such a low quality that it started to break so one of my bindings now stays always on walking mode. Searching on the forums, I found several people complaining about this and it looks like this problem is common because materials are so low quality that they break down and the mechanism stops working as they suppose to.Because of this I faced myself in several dangerous situations where my binding toe piece just popped while skiing. I got new bindings than finding myself in unfortunate situations.I am really disappointed with these bindings. The compromises with the quality that Solomon has made in the production of their products in recent years makes me think about whether to buy something from them again. I like the idea behind shift bindings but I would NOT recommend it until they improve the quality. Anyway who wants to spend that much money for something that will break down in a season.

Works great as long as you never let them see snow

Have you ever wanted a binding that doesn't perform in the cold, the snow, the steepness, the isolation of a backcountry ski day? A binding that lets you down on every single kick turn? A binding that ski techs are baffled by? A binding that will embarrass you when touring with others? Have you ever wanted a binding that does ok at the resort for 3x the cost of a standard binding? Then you should buy this binding for sure! But make sure you also buy ski straps and duct tape, because these bindings *will* fail you at some point. In a sport that requires absolute trust in gear + safety equipment, it's a shame that such a prestigious brand such as Salomon continues to sell this very expensive piece of trash. My main complaints are the toe release, how easy it is to ... MoreHave you ever wanted a binding that doesn't perform in the cold, the snow, the steepness, the isolation of a backcountry ski day? A binding that lets you down on every single kick turn? A binding that ski techs are baffled by? A binding that will embarrass you when touring with others? Have you ever wanted a binding that does ok at the resort for 3x the cost of a standard binding? Then you should buy this binding for sure! But make sure you also buy ski straps and duct tape, because these bindings *will* fail you at some point. In a sport that requires absolute trust in gear + safety equipment, it's a shame that such a prestigious brand such as Salomon continues to sell this very expensive piece of trash. My main complaints are the toe release, how easy it is to release the brakes when in touring mode, and how annoying it is dealing with snow/ice accumulation around all the hardware. I actually don't have any complaints about downhill mode...hence the 1 star.