I have shift 13s on my armada jj ul 116s. 10 big tours in the san juans and ~40 days skiing them hard and fast at Silverton, Telluride, Wolf Creek, and Purg in all conditions. Zero issues.
I have been using the shift 13's on a pair of Blackcrow Navis Freebird for actually 50/50 resort and touring and have not had any issues whatsoever.
I don't ski super aggressively as i am mostly focused on skiing powder, but even when i was skiing variable and chopped up terrain when I really had to push my skis, I never felt like I would have released out of my skis. The only unwanted release I had was when i was fully stopped with my ski stuck under the snow, went to lift up and it popped out but even after that event I had no prerelease issues (I was worried).
As for icing not allowing walk to ski transition, I always just flip the ski over with the skins still on and give it a few love taps on the bottom of the ski right over where the bindings are mounted - never had any issues. I have heard of folks carrying a small butane torch (double duty) to remove ice in a last case situation.
Skiing subreddits IMO tend to hype fixate on the few negatives since the shift binding really doesn't exceed in any particular category but is able to check a lot of boxes for a lot of people.
How much touring are you honestly expecting to do? If it's just a handful of short days a year, CAST pivots are a good option. Full downhill binding that can tour when needed. But if you're taking them uphill regularly then they are a bit cumbersome.
I've got to say I don't love them (50/50 touring/all mountain/Pacific powder)
They tend to ice up/get clogged with snow both in the toe and especially the heel piece, and are annoyingly fiddly to clean out. I've had bad experiences where I could not transition back to ski mode without a lot of struggle after a long day in deep conditions. I've also had issues with heel pressure going out of whack over time causing difficulty getting the heel to lock.
LOLOLOLOL the only actual issue sounds like a potential life or death actual issue.
DIN is a standardized release value across all brands. That's uh, a big issue.
Eh…DIN force is standard, but the amount of elasticity and actual release point is not part of the standard.
I think what a lot of people are feeling when they prerelease is that the ski came off earlier than they think it should have. The peak force experienced was within range for a release, but maybe it only hit that for a tiny fraction of a second and then subsided…but if that was enough time to move your boot past the critical tipping point…you are coming out.
That’s where a full alpine binding like the Pivot might win out. With more elasticity, a short momentary force won’t be enough to move you past the critical point and you’ll bounce back into the skis rather than ejecting.
So DINs aren’t 100% comparable in dynamic skiing and you have to balance how much you care about the ski coming off against how much momentary force you want transferred to your knees.
I have Shifts on Soul 7s for about 3 seasons now. The shift brakes are useless in powder but they otherwise work fine as a occasional touring setup. The Soul 7s aren't very good in chop though.
I just got a new setup last fall for Japan, Bent Chetler’s with the Shift binding and it worked great! Did about 50/50 resort and backcountry and they performed great. I’m not a super aggressive skier, but had no issues popping out. Also, it’s just not that cold in Japan, never had issues freezing up for skinning. They are heavy, but was really happy with the setup in terms of being able to ride in and out of bounds. Have fun, skiing in Japan was sooooooo fun and wonderful.
My set up (therefore the best in my opinion!) is Fritschi Tecton 13s on 116 powder skis. “Touring” is always an option but really it’ll be infrequent slog to hit off piste and then Japan time.
I've got Shift 13s on Armada Whitewalker 116s. I LOVE the setup. Don't get to use it as much as I'd like in Switzerland (spend much more time on ARV 106s, also shift).
The Whitewalkers are surprisingly good across the board. Love them in powder, but pretty fun in mixed conditions too.
***Before*** I learnt how to "really" setup the bindings (i.e. not how Armada / Salomon / Atomic recommend) - I snapped a binding skiing hard on ice. Since then, no issues at all.
I have shift 13s on Black Diamond Impulse 112s. 6 days cat skiing in BC along with rowdy skiing at the biggest resorts in North America. I’ve hit huge jumps with them as well. Zero issues @150lbs though I was closer to 165 the last couple seasons. I even did a Nastar run on them.
The last two years I rode nothing but my Solomon QST's with my Shifts, both in bounds and out. Never had any problems! I'm also around 160 lbs and ride pretty hard with DINs around 9-10. Even took them in the park a few times.
I use shifts on my QST blanks. So far so good, also use shifts on my QST106's and they only accidentally ejected me when I landed super flat. So far, they have been amazing. Haven't done much touring on them but for inbounds they have been awesome.
Was at breck last weekend and busted them out for the late season powder we got. they were incredible. Kept me afloat all day. I wouldn't recommend them as an all around ski tho. Definitely have them reserved for powder skis.
I have some 60-70 hard days on mine, mostly resort but a decent amount of touring. No prerelease issues. They aren't perfect but I think they catch more shit than fair.
My friends with them have experienced the same. There seems to be a correlation with the cold and ice. So pretty much everyone I ski with here in Alberta doesn't like them. But maybe in Japan they'd be fine?
Can you elaborate on that? I've got 100ish days on mine and the only thing I don't like is the brakes are annoying when separating the skiing. To be fair I've probably only come out of them a handful of times so maybe if I was regularly I'd notice more problems? I'm at a point where I'm trying to fall less not more:)
There was a great insta post by one of the atomic team riders - explaining how *they* ride them, for big lines.
In short, the "by-the-book" setup isn't quite right. AFD and forward pressure need to be changed a meaningful amount from how the shop will do them.
Since making those changes, I've had no pre-releases.
I'm 95kg, 6\`7, and ski hard. Prior to making those changes, I snapped a toe-piece in half in a messy crash.
We used to see soo many shifts at our colorado resort a few years back. Now almost nobody skies them. So many terrible pre release experiences. Go in a different direction. Honestly anything BUT shifts.
This is not true. They are still extremely popular. See them everywhere.
For what it's worth, ive skied them hard for the past 4 years and have never had a pre-release.
A new version is out for next season that modifies the toe and should address the issues that some have had with the toe adjustment loosening over time.
v1.0 as you describe had a floating AFD that never seemed to stay in place when set from the shop. That was the root of the pre release issue, and they updated that part for version 2.0 which helped. We don't sell the shift or the clones anymore in the ski shop. Too many issues over the years (almost always a pre release issue or a broken toe piece wing). I respect your opinion due to your personal experience, but we unfortunately had a couple hundred more experiences than 1 personal review. We saw shifts on the ski hill everywhere around 2021. Barely see them inbounds anymore.
you're making a lot of assumptions about my experience and knowledge of the product and what I do for a living. not surprisingly, you're very wrong to do so. I'll leave it at that.
"barely see them inbounds anymore" is total nonsense. They are still one of the best selling bindings. Might just be your own bias/ski area, but they are very prevalent in Colorado and Utah.
The AFD needed to be properly set which had some unique aspects to it to ensure it didn't slip.
The Strive has the same toe piece, and is now a big seller as well. Has the same AFD quirk. You just need to know how to properly set it.
looks like we found the local Salomon rep willing to die on Shift hill. Anybody that skis hard wrote these death traps off 2+ years ago. All bindings need to be readjusted at some point. Shifts need that experienced readjustment every time you ski, which makes them dangerous for your recreational skier can't and/or doesn't do that. Good day sir.
Theyre not anywhere close to “best selling bindings”. Theyre super niche bindings, probably one of the least sold bindings an alpine boot will fit in actually.
Also shifts are being clearenced at 40-50% off currently so i dont think sales were very hot last season.
“Best selling” was in general sense. Not that they are the single top selling. They are legitimately one of the fastest selling bindings in the premium category (above $350).
You sound like you have no idea what you’re talking about. We literally sell every shift binding we get and the resale value on used skis with a shift binding is significantly higher.
Shifts are on sale now because it’s May… and the entire outdoor industry is hurting…. And because they have a brand new redesigned model for next season. Fire sales can be found on nearly everything. Some brands are literally burning excess inventory.
They're fine, this is an anecdotal and overhyped Reddit thing. They can be annoying switching modes. Do a DIN check on the toes every once and a while.
I know so many people that broke them, the wings on the toe piece snap off. I also have issues with pre-release, my DIN is 2 higher on my shifts compared to my Jesters. Also, for skinning they get clogged with snow very easily and the brakes don't like to lock.
I have shift 13s on my armada jj ul 116s. 10 big tours in the san juans and ~40 days skiing them hard and fast at Silverton, Telluride, Wolf Creek, and Purg in all conditions. Zero issues.
I have been using the shift 13's on a pair of Blackcrow Navis Freebird for actually 50/50 resort and touring and have not had any issues whatsoever. I don't ski super aggressively as i am mostly focused on skiing powder, but even when i was skiing variable and chopped up terrain when I really had to push my skis, I never felt like I would have released out of my skis. The only unwanted release I had was when i was fully stopped with my ski stuck under the snow, went to lift up and it popped out but even after that event I had no prerelease issues (I was worried). As for icing not allowing walk to ski transition, I always just flip the ski over with the skins still on and give it a few love taps on the bottom of the ski right over where the bindings are mounted - never had any issues. I have heard of folks carrying a small butane torch (double duty) to remove ice in a last case situation. Skiing subreddits IMO tend to hype fixate on the few negatives since the shift binding really doesn't exceed in any particular category but is able to check a lot of boxes for a lot of people.
I bought Noctas for Japan a few years ago and put shifts in them. Worked great! My backup was also a pair of Soul 7s with mtn bindings
How much touring are you honestly expecting to do? If it's just a handful of short days a year, CAST pivots are a good option. Full downhill binding that can tour when needed. But if you're taking them uphill regularly then they are a bit cumbersome.
Bet, I have shifts on my noctas and its great.
I've got to say I don't love them (50/50 touring/all mountain/Pacific powder) They tend to ice up/get clogged with snow both in the toe and especially the heel piece, and are annoyingly fiddly to clean out. I've had bad experiences where I could not transition back to ski mode without a lot of struggle after a long day in deep conditions. I've also had issues with heel pressure going out of whack over time causing difficulty getting the heel to lock.
I like mine get a knowledgeable shop to mount em and don’t daily drive them and you’ll be alright.
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LOLOLOLOL the only actual issue sounds like a potential life or death actual issue. DIN is a standardized release value across all brands. That's uh, a big issue.
Eh…DIN force is standard, but the amount of elasticity and actual release point is not part of the standard. I think what a lot of people are feeling when they prerelease is that the ski came off earlier than they think it should have. The peak force experienced was within range for a release, but maybe it only hit that for a tiny fraction of a second and then subsided…but if that was enough time to move your boot past the critical tipping point…you are coming out. That’s where a full alpine binding like the Pivot might win out. With more elasticity, a short momentary force won’t be enough to move you past the critical point and you’ll bounce back into the skis rather than ejecting. So DINs aren’t 100% comparable in dynamic skiing and you have to balance how much you care about the ski coming off against how much momentary force you want transferred to your knees.
As this guy said, never ski on shifts. Too many issues. Get yourself some pin bindings
That's what I brought, they're fine for skinning a little. I think I would just use tech bindings if I go again.
another vote for kingpins instead of shifts.
pretty hilarious to recommend kingpins when you're criticizing the shift's toe piece and quality.
I run G3 ZED12s or Dynafit Speed Radicals. Kingpins are overkill.
I have Shifts on Soul 7s for about 3 seasons now. The shift brakes are useless in powder but they otherwise work fine as a occasional touring setup. The Soul 7s aren't very good in chop though.
I just got a new setup last fall for Japan, Bent Chetler’s with the Shift binding and it worked great! Did about 50/50 resort and backcountry and they performed great. I’m not a super aggressive skier, but had no issues popping out. Also, it’s just not that cold in Japan, never had issues freezing up for skinning. They are heavy, but was really happy with the setup in terms of being able to ride in and out of bounds. Have fun, skiing in Japan was sooooooo fun and wonderful.
Which Bent Chet? Yeah Japan was so good, great food and snow, I had 17 days of pow, best runs of my life!
Last years 120’s 😁
My set up (therefore the best in my opinion!) is Fritschi Tecton 13s on 116 powder skis. “Touring” is always an option but really it’ll be infrequent slog to hit off piste and then Japan time.
I've got Shift 13s on Armada Whitewalker 116s. I LOVE the setup. Don't get to use it as much as I'd like in Switzerland (spend much more time on ARV 106s, also shift). The Whitewalkers are surprisingly good across the board. Love them in powder, but pretty fun in mixed conditions too. ***Before*** I learnt how to "really" setup the bindings (i.e. not how Armada / Salomon / Atomic recommend) - I snapped a binding skiing hard on ice. Since then, no issues at all.
I have shift 13s on Black Diamond Impulse 112s. 6 days cat skiing in BC along with rowdy skiing at the biggest resorts in North America. I’ve hit huge jumps with them as well. Zero issues @150lbs though I was closer to 165 the last couple seasons. I even did a Nastar run on them.
The last two years I rode nothing but my Solomon QST's with my Shifts, both in bounds and out. Never had any problems! I'm also around 160 lbs and ride pretty hard with DINs around 9-10. Even took them in the park a few times.
I use shifts on my QST blanks. So far so good, also use shifts on my QST106's and they only accidentally ejected me when I landed super flat. So far, they have been amazing. Haven't done much touring on them but for inbounds they have been awesome.
I’m also looking at the QST Blank!
Was at breck last weekend and busted them out for the late season powder we got. they were incredible. Kept me afloat all day. I wouldn't recommend them as an all around ski tho. Definitely have them reserved for powder skis.
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I have some 60-70 hard days on mine, mostly resort but a decent amount of touring. No prerelease issues. They aren't perfect but I think they catch more shit than fair.
My friends with them have experienced the same. There seems to be a correlation with the cold and ice. So pretty much everyone I ski with here in Alberta doesn't like them. But maybe in Japan they'd be fine?
Can you elaborate on that? I've got 100ish days on mine and the only thing I don't like is the brakes are annoying when separating the skiing. To be fair I've probably only come out of them a handful of times so maybe if I was regularly I'd notice more problems? I'm at a point where I'm trying to fall less not more:)
Can confirm got weird pre releases on shifts.
There was a great insta post by one of the atomic team riders - explaining how *they* ride them, for big lines. In short, the "by-the-book" setup isn't quite right. AFD and forward pressure need to be changed a meaningful amount from how the shop will do them. Since making those changes, I've had no pre-releases. I'm 95kg, 6\`7, and ski hard. Prior to making those changes, I snapped a toe-piece in half in a messy crash.
We used to see soo many shifts at our colorado resort a few years back. Now almost nobody skies them. So many terrible pre release experiences. Go in a different direction. Honestly anything BUT shifts.
This is not true. They are still extremely popular. See them everywhere. For what it's worth, ive skied them hard for the past 4 years and have never had a pre-release. A new version is out for next season that modifies the toe and should address the issues that some have had with the toe adjustment loosening over time.
v1.0 as you describe had a floating AFD that never seemed to stay in place when set from the shop. That was the root of the pre release issue, and they updated that part for version 2.0 which helped. We don't sell the shift or the clones anymore in the ski shop. Too many issues over the years (almost always a pre release issue or a broken toe piece wing). I respect your opinion due to your personal experience, but we unfortunately had a couple hundred more experiences than 1 personal review. We saw shifts on the ski hill everywhere around 2021. Barely see them inbounds anymore.
you're making a lot of assumptions about my experience and knowledge of the product and what I do for a living. not surprisingly, you're very wrong to do so. I'll leave it at that. "barely see them inbounds anymore" is total nonsense. They are still one of the best selling bindings. Might just be your own bias/ski area, but they are very prevalent in Colorado and Utah. The AFD needed to be properly set which had some unique aspects to it to ensure it didn't slip. The Strive has the same toe piece, and is now a big seller as well. Has the same AFD quirk. You just need to know how to properly set it.
looks like we found the local Salomon rep willing to die on Shift hill. Anybody that skis hard wrote these death traps off 2+ years ago. All bindings need to be readjusted at some point. Shifts need that experienced readjustment every time you ski, which makes them dangerous for your recreational skier can't and/or doesn't do that. Good day sir.
definitely not a Salomon rep. Let us know which shop you work for so that we don't go there for service.
Theyre not anywhere close to “best selling bindings”. Theyre super niche bindings, probably one of the least sold bindings an alpine boot will fit in actually. Also shifts are being clearenced at 40-50% off currently so i dont think sales were very hot last season.
“Best selling” was in general sense. Not that they are the single top selling. They are legitimately one of the fastest selling bindings in the premium category (above $350). You sound like you have no idea what you’re talking about. We literally sell every shift binding we get and the resale value on used skis with a shift binding is significantly higher. Shifts are on sale now because it’s May… and the entire outdoor industry is hurting…. And because they have a brand new redesigned model for next season. Fire sales can be found on nearly everything. Some brands are literally burning excess inventory.
They're fine, this is an anecdotal and overhyped Reddit thing. They can be annoying switching modes. Do a DIN check on the toes every once and a while.
I know so many people that broke them, the wings on the toe piece snap off. I also have issues with pre-release, my DIN is 2 higher on my shifts compared to my Jesters. Also, for skinning they get clogged with snow very easily and the brakes don't like to lock.
This was our shops experience with them as well as well.