angy4Solid, I’m looking at mounting the Salomon s/lab shifts I know there new just this year! Wondering what you guys think of them
They actually came out last year (18/19) and are really impressive, though not without a few quirks. The thing that makes them stand out is that, at least in my experience, they ski exactly like a 13-DIN alpine binding, including certified release characteristics. The CAST Freetour system is the only other non-frame touring binding that offers that. And compared to any frame binding (e.g., Salomon Guardian, Marker Duke, Tyrolia adrenalin), the Shift and Cast system tour way better.
The Shift's brakes can be finicky when it comes to releasing accidentally, but I've never had much trouble with it if I focus on keeping a fairly wide stance while skinning. You also have to keep an eye on the AFD as it has a tendency to drop down after you set it initially, which can lead to pre-releases. But in my experience, that only happens after the first few runs after adjusting them. After I adjust the AFD after those first few runs, I can usually just set it and forget it. The Shift is also fairly sensitive to forward pressure, so you wanna make sure you have that dialed. Lastly, the Shift doesn't have a high heel riser, which can be a bit annoying on steep skin tracks.
But with all the settings correct, the Shift is an amazing binding. It skis like an alpine binding, is very efficient on the uphill (apart from being a bit heavier than most tech bindings and not having a high riser), and we haven't had any notable durability issues on the 4 pairs we've been using for 1-2 seasons.
For a dedicated touring binding, I prefer the Kingpin or Tecton because they're a bit lighter, have high risers, and their power transfer is similar to the Shift. But if you are throwing tricks in the backcountry or just place a high priority on safety and elasticity, then the Shift makes sense. I'd also opt for the Shift over the Kingpin or Tecton if I was using this binding in the resort.
