Armada

N Shift MNC 13 Alpine Touring Binding - 2024

In bounds, out bounds.... Armada's Shift MNC 13 Ski Binding knows no bounds. It's choice for skiers who'll ride dawn patrols in the backcountry and reach the resort in time for first chair. There are only a few ski bindings like this one that can shift from standard alpine boots to tech-fitted backcountry boots. In fact, it requires tech boots for the skin up, and an alpine toe is necessary for the downhill. Multi Norm Certified, this binding's toe height adjusts to accommodate standard alpine, WTR, tech, AT, and GripWalk soles. In alpine mode, the Shift provides reliable DIN release ratings as well as a sliding toe pedal with elastic travel to release when necessary, and still retain some rigidity when you're laying down a fierce line.

The Shift requires you skin in tech mode. Simply flick switches on both the toe and heel pieces to engage the toe's pins and activate the heel's walk mode. In walk mode, the Shift's pins provide the same walking stride and touring efficiency as any tech binding. There are two heel risers to assist with the skin track's steeper sections. Made with carbon, the Shift only weighs a mere two pounds, which isn't as light as ultralight tech bindings, but they're certainly lighter than alpine touring bindings and those hybrids with DIN heels and tech toes. After reaching the top of the skin track, you can flick those same switches on the toe and heel pieces to clip back into the binding like it was a regular alpine binding. The toe piece's 47mm elastic travel gives this binding a rugged DIN rating of thirteen, so feel free to ride the backcountry as rowdy as you'd ride the resort, knowing full well that you can release safely when you fall.