It's been a while coming, with rumours flying around almost since the release of the original binding, but it's finally here, the new SHIFT2. All three Amer sports brands will be offering the new binding with slightly different colorways. We're not sure if there are more colors dropping but for now, the Salomon versions have pink accents, Armada are all black and Atomic are black with some gunmetal thrown in. All three brands offer a 10 and a 13 Din version with multi-norm compatability.

Most of the changes are to the toe, note the lack of the hidden screws to the rear and beefier construction

While the new SHIFT2 might look quite a lot like the old one, it purports to fix the more common issues that users have experienced. The key points are:

- Aluminum Reinforced Micro AFD: Provides an exact fit and greater lateral stiffness for increased precision and power transfer.

- Oversized Wings and Toe Lever: Wraps the boot better, for improved power transfer, shock resistance, durability, and reliability.

- Redesigned Brake Lever: Ensures a more reliable locking function, eliminating unintentional releases.

- Updated Climbing Aid: Adds 4mm of lift for enhanced uphill performance.

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For the ski techs out there, the binding also does away with that annoying little plastic slider in the toe that was a massive pain in the ass when mounting, and fixes the AFD adjustment slipping issue. In all, it might look basically the same but the SHIFT2 seems, on the face of it at least, to be a much improved binding. We've had a little time on them, though not enough to pass proper judgement, but the early signs are good. We haven't had pre-release issues so far and the power transfer does indeed feel better. @P3t3r skied the Atomic version out in Utah and had no issues, while @Twig has been on the Armadas in Switzerland and also says early signs look good. He's also mounted a few sets already, and says that experience really is a big improvement.

Salomon colorway sneak peak

And Atomic's version