boots and bindings

Ski Boots and Bindings

Boots:
Boots should fit well and be comfortable. Broadly speaking, there are three types. Skate, Classical (Diagonal), and Backcountry. And of course there are compromise boots that try to cover two of these three groups.

I went many years using 'combi' boots for both skating and classical. I finally broke down and bought a pair of skate boots - and was amazed at the difference they made. The additional stiffness and support made downhills much more managable and also helped with applying power to the skating stride. If you can afford them, they are well worth it.

Classical (Diagonal) boots for track-only skiing are usually quite lightweight and may just barely reach the ankles. They have to be flexible for the 'kick-and-glide'. Unless doing track-only skiing, most people buy a slightly higher boot with more ankle support that can also be used for light backcountry skiing.

The boot that you choose will also determine the type of binding that you need.

Bindings:
It should be simple, but it's not.

I. Background info:

3-pin bindings are ancient history - but still have their uses. (You date yourself if you remember 4-pin bindings...)
NNN and NNN-BC are 1) NOT the same, 2) are standard, and 3) there are complications.
The Salomon company has historically 'gone their own way' and didn't try to match anyone else. This is now complicated, too.

II. NNN and NNN-BC

Many years ago, I simplified my ski boot decisions. I chose NNN for all my lightweight skis and NNN-BC for my backcountry skis.
When you look at the bottom of a ski boot, you should see either NNN or NNN BC molded into the sole (sometimes in a rather crypic pattern). See picture at the bottom of this page.
When looking at boots, note that the bar in the toe and the distance between the two parallel grooves is wider in NNN BC than in NNN.

III. Complications - a good description of all this in more detail from SkiHaus

NNN NIS (NNN Nordic Integrated System) - a plate is built into the ski and the binding (any sort) slides onto the plate, rather than having to be screwed on. It's pretty slick! You have to buy skis that come with the plate attached.
Turnamic - an NNN binding that slides onto the NIS plate. Fancy technology allows you to fine-tune the placement depending on snow conditions.
Xcelerator - a lightweight NNN binding that slides onto the NIS plate.
ProLink - Salomon realized that they needed to be compatible with NNN.

IV. Salomon

SNS Profil - no longer supported. Doesn't match with anything else.
SNS Pilot - two metal bars in boot, not one. Some think it's the best! But it only works as a boot/binding system
Prolink System - Salomon's name for their boot/binding system that is fully compatible with other NNN boots and bindings.
Old systems - there are a variety of old Salomon systems that show up on second-hand skis that are not compatible with anything else.

V. 3-pin

Some use 3-pin binding for backcountry skis. The thought is that they form a stronger connection between the boot and the ski, as well as being more reliable for use miles from civilization. There is something to this, but if you subscribe to it, keep tabs on the condition of the three holes in your skiboot. If the binding is not put on properly, the pins can chew up the sole of the boot and it can rip out. You can do an emergency repair with cord. to tie your boot in.
Some use 3-pin bindings because that's what they had for boots and they didn't want to change.
3-pin bindings are cheaper than the other systems.

VI. Things to watch out for when shopping old, secondhand boots and bindings

There are a number of old systems that don't match up with current equipment. If the bindings don't say NNN or NNN-BC, consider whether you can find or have boots that fit them. Very old NNN bindings are the original NNN, which were replaced with NNN II.

VII. Hints for bargain hunters

Look for cheap 2nd-hand skis that have the bindings that you want. Buy the skis, take the bindings, throw away the skis. Talk to Pete about switching the bindings from one set of skis to another. (Generally the screw holes match up (with some specific exceptions). Put a little glue in the hole as you put the screws in (hot glue works well) to keep the screw from working its way back out.)