Salomon/Atomic Shift 16 First Look: Can It Silence the Haters?
There's a new version of the venerable Salomon/Atomic Shift binding in town, and it's aimed squarely at aggressive skiers looking for the ultimate 50/50 binding. The basic functionality remains the same, but a completely redesigned metal heel block is based on the clamp design from the STH and Strive alpine heel, offering 16mm of elastic travel. The toe piece also gets the metal treatment to 30 percent extra lateral stiffness. DIN range now goes from 8-16. The Salomon and Atomic versions are identical, save for color. An all-black Armada version is reportedly in the works too.
Developed in close collaboration with Salomon athletes like Cody Townsend and Atomic athletes Daron Rahlves, Tonje Kvivik, and Craig Murray, the new Shift 2 16 is quite a bit heavier than the existing 13 or 10 DIN versions, but all that extra metal and it's added stiffness and durability need to come at some sort of cost. This is the most aggressive version of the Shift, aimed at heavier and more aggressive skiers who care more about downhill performance than light weight while touring. The touring functionality remains identical to the existing Shift, but the weight is now more in line with a CAST Freetour 2.0 setup or a Tyrolia Attack Hybrid. It's still lighter than the Duke PT 16.
Salomon/Atomic Shift 2 16 MN Specs
- Stated Weight: 1210g per binding
- DIN Range: 8-16
- Compatibility: MN (Multinorm, height-adjustable AFD)
- Heel Riser: flat + 1 riser
- Brake Width Options: 90, 100, 110, 120mm
- BSL Adjustment: 30mm
- Elastic Travel: 16mm
When I think of ski products that have proven to extremely polarizing, a single one tops the list: the Salomon/Atomic Shift hybrid touring binding. It's got a long train of die-hard users, and an equally large group of "no-way" haters out there. When it was first released in 2018, the hybrid binding ushered in a new era of performance, combining pin binding uphill functionality with a true alpine-style toe and heel.
The insides of the heel piece.
The whole unit quickly converts from uphill to downhill mode like a Transformer–but that Optimus Prime personality didn't play well with everyone. Salomon and Atomic's professional athlete team shredded big lines aboard the binding, and many skiers swore by the one-binding-to-rule-them-all capability for 50/50 backcountry/resort skiing. On the other hand, ski shops, mountain guides, and ski instructors the world over condemned the binding for its weight, and a notorious tendency to pre-release, ice up, break, and cause all sorts of other problems in the field. I've seen mountain guides literally refuse to take clients skiing when they pull a Shift binding out of the car.
Personally, I've owned four pairs and have never had an issue other than the occasional ice-up on particularly wet days. In 2024, the binding was updated to the Shift 2 to specifically address some of the issues from the original version, including a redesigned adjustable AFD (the original tended to loosen itself), beefed up toe wings, and a better brake locking mechanism. This did alleviate many of the issue found in the OG version, but heavier and more aggressive skiers still clamored for a beefier version with higher DIN settings and added durability. Their prayers seem to have been answered with the new 16 DIN Shift 2 MN.
A look at the Atomic version of the binding, complete with some Chris Benchetler doodles.
Briefly diving into the design of the new binding, the key theme is "metal." The toepiece feels heavier and significantly stouter than the all-plastic version.The toe's mode-switch lever between the toe wings is now made of metal, as well as some more internal components–all in the name of stiffness and durability. On the heel, the entire heel block is a single piece of aluminum, clamping directly to your boot the exact same way the STH and Strive alpine heels do.
According to Atomic's press release, "At the core of the binding is a Micro AFD with an integrated aluminum Power Block, increasing lateral stiffness for superior power transfer and precision. A reinforced baseplate with metal and rubber components enhances stability while effectively absorbing vibration for a smoother ride in variable conditions. The 3-Part Power Heel maximizes shock absorption and improves retention in the most demanding big-mountain environments."