In 2005, the engineers at Salomon Snowboards noticed something long overlooked in binding development: lateral flex. Bindings are designed to hold you on your board, but they also serve to transmit input from your legs through the board and into the snow. Edge-to-edge, any binding needs to be strong, and depending on personal preference, offer varying amounts of response, but laterally (side-to-side), do they really need to be very stiff?
The simple answer is no. Enter Salomon’s Shadow Fit.
![](https://snowboardmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SALOMON-SHADOW-FIT-0006-727x970.jpg)
![](https://snowboardmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SALOMON-SHADOW-FIT-0013-727x970.jpg)
![](https://snowboardmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SALOMON-SHADOW-FIT-0002-727x970.jpg)
Basher breaks down more snowboarding technology in other What’s the Deal? videos. Watch them here.