Salomon Strive 16 Multinorm

The Salomon Strive 16 MN is a high-DIN all-mountain binding for advanced to expert skiers who ski hard and need their gear to hold up. The DIN range runs 7-16, which means it releases at the forces generated by powerful, heavier, or aggressive skiers — and retains under the same. The toe uses Salomon's low-profile LDN design to drop the stand height to roughly 19.5 mm, keeping you closer to the ski for more direct snow feel without the dead-platform sensation you get on taller binding stacks. The heel is a three-piece wide-metal construction with roughly 45-47 mm of elastic travel (the exact figure varies by listing) — meaningful retention and shock absorption when you're charging rough snow or landing off-piste drops. The MN (MultiNorm) certification is the real differentiator from the standard GW version: this binding accepts Alpine ISO 5355, GripWalk ISO 23223, and Alpine Touring ISO 9523 soles, so it works with traditional race boots, walk-mode freeride boots, and light touring boots alike. Brakes come in 90 mm, 100 mm, 115 mm, and 130 mm — match the brake to within about 15 mm of your ski's waist width.

This binding is squarely for advanced and expert skiers who either need the MN sole versatility or ski at settings in the 10-16 range. The DIN floor of 7 is worth flagging: lighter skiers, beginners, or anyone whose correct DIN falls below 7 should not be on this binding — at that setting the toe may not release cleanly in a real fall, which is a safety issue, not a comfort one. If your calculated DIN lands in the 4-10 range, the Salomon Strive 14 MN or even the Strive 10 is a better and safer fit. Likewise, if you ski only standard Alpine boots and don't need MN compatibility, the GripWalk Strive 16 GW version saves some cost on the same core platform. The 90 mm brake covers narrower carving skis, and the 130 mm is the widest in the lineup, so it'll reach across the vast majority of all-mountain and freeride waists — only true powder skis wider than about 130 mm would push past this binding's brake range.