Nidecker Supermatic
At first glance, the Nidecker Supermatic binding looks like a conventional two-strap binding. But the big difference is the so-called Drop In Tech Highback. It is folded back to get in and when you step into the binding with your foot on the heel pedal, the highback folds upwards. Thanks to the straps, which have been uniquely adjusted to the boot, the foot sits securely and firmly in the binding. With a simple lever, the highback can be folded down again just as quickly and easily and you can get out of the binding comfortably. If the situation on the mountain does not allow the highback to be folded back, simply release the conventional binding straps to get out.
A major advantage of the binding is the fact that it works with any conventional snowboard boot and can be individually adjusted to the boot and the desired binding pressure thanks to the two binding buckles.
The Nidecker Supermatic was honored with the ISPO Award as an innovative snowboard binding in 2022 .
Clew 1.0
The Munich-based start-up Clew has completely rethought the topic of step-in bindings. The concept combines the riding experience of a classic strap binding, which is preferred by many snowboarders, with quick entry and exit and was honored with the ISPO Award in 2019. The Clew binding consists of two parts. The highback, which can be attached to any soft boot with the instep buckle, and the base, which is permanently mounted on the snowboard. Once the binding buckles have been adjusted once on the boot, you push your foot against the toestrap and put weight on your heel to get into the binding. Your own body weight automatically locks the binding buckle.
To release the locking mechanism of the binding, there is a handle on the back of the Higback. This can be gripped comfortably with any glove and pulled upwards to unlock.
K2 Clicker
Image credit:K2 Snowboarding
The K2 Clicker system is one of the most established step-in binding systems on the market. The binding and boot form a coordinated unit. The Clicker X HB binding is available in a women's and men's version and is made of robust fiberglass-nylon material. The highback can be ergonomically adjusted to the leg position with the 3° canted chassis. This improves board control and riding comfort. So-called metal cleats are located in the sole of the boot, which snap firmly into the corresponding mount on the binding. This means that the clicker boot is firmly fixed in the binding even without additional straps.
To get out, the binding mechanism is unlocked using a lever on the baseplate and the heel is lifted.
K2 Snowboarding offers various clicker boots in different hardnesses and price ranges, so that a suitable set-up can be found for every riding style.
Burton Step On
Image credit:Burton
With the Step On System, Burton Snowboards follows a similar approach to K2 Snowboarding. Here too, the binding with highback and the matching boot form a single unit. With the Step On System, the snowboard boot is fixed in the binding with three connection points - two on the right and left of the toes and one on the heel. To get out, the binding can be unlocked with a release lever on the highback in a single movement.
Bindings and boots for the Step On System developed by Burton are also offered by other snowboard brands such as Nitro Snowboards (boots) and Flux (bindings). This results in a large selection of boots and bindings with different combination options for the Step On System.
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SP Bindings - Mountain Multientry
The SP Bindings Step-In binding system is simple and universal. As with the Clew and Nidecker systems, the binding can be used with any snowboard boot. To step into the binding, a bar on the back of the highback is pushed down. This causes the highback to fold back and the Anklestrap automatically lifts up a little. Now you can push the boot into the binding, fold the highback up again and lock it with the lever. Finally, the Anklestrap is fixed in place using a quick-release lever.
Before first use, the toe and ankle strap must be adjusted to the boot once.
As you can see from the description, the SP binding does not work fully automatically when you get on, like the bindings from Clew, Burton, K2 or Nidecker.
Conclusion:
The development of step-in binding systems continues to progress steadily. Not only new players such as Nidecker Supermatic and Clew are putting a lot of energy into developing innovative technical solutions. The more established brands on the step-in market such as K2, Burton and SP are also continuously optimizing the performance of their products. The best way to find out whether a step-in binding is the right choice for you is to attend a test event. After all, the feel, the desired damping and the response of a binding are parameters that are perceived very individually. So the only thing that helps here is to get out into the snow!
