ShadowFit Binding Technology

What’s ShadowFit Technology and why should I care?

If you grew up skating or skateboard today, surely you’ve noticed the similarities between snowboarding and skateboarding. Even if you don’t skate, it’s easy to see the similarities. But what you don’t realize until you get on the snow is that while the two are similar in a lot of ways - they’re a few key differences. The biggest being you’re strapped to your board.

Being strapped to your board is an aspect of snowboarding that doesn’t translate to skateboarding or surfing. Luckily, as freestyle snowboarding progresses, so does the tech. And it would seem most companies making bindings today are striving to give snowboarding a more skate-like feel. Salomon’s solution is ShadowFit Technology. ShadowFit uses a combination of a soft heelcup (you can squeeze the heelcup together with your hand), a supportive Kevlar Quickwire, and a loghtweight baseplate that promises to make your snowboarding feel less restrictive and closer to feeling like you’re skateboarding or surfing.

The first aspect of ShadowFit to focus on is its soft heel cup, which allows you to tweak your tricks harder and turn easier. The feedback on this technology from Salomon’s team riders is all positive. Bode Merrill puts it like this, “there’s more movement, more tweakability, which ultimately, makes it way more fun.”

While every rider in the video below mention the soft heelcup of the ShadowFit takes a minute to get used to, each one describes themselves as a “convert” or say they couldn’t imagine riding anything else.

Desiree Melancon puts it best when she says, “I kind of compare it to riding looser trucks on a skateboard.” Loose trucks, while they may not be for everyone, are preferred by just about every concrete/vert skateboarder in the world. Loose trucks allow for you to ride more tricks out, giving you the extra second needed to adjust your weight and catch your balance. That added time and confidence could be a potential game changer in snowboarding. It was this comment by Melancon that got me interested in researching ShadowFit tech.

The Kevlar Quickwire used in ShadowFit connects your heel to your tow. This technology provides maximum support and quick transmission of movement making turns easier to initiate and provides more confidence overall.

A lightweight baseplate is used in every ShadowFit binding. It helps to cut down on weight, but more importantly it provides better board feel and flex underfoot.

Salomon markets the ShadowFit technology with these three principles highlighted: Responsive, Comfortable, and Lightweight. ShadowFit is offered on the Salomon Quantum, Defender, Hologram, District, and Mirage. Here's a complete look at all the Salomon Bindings we carry.