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  1. #1
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    Grip walk compatibility

    Sorry and point me in the direction if there is a thread.

    Can I run grip walk boots in any of my Salomon bindings from the last 15 years as long as the toe height is adjusted right or will I die? Old driver toes to the current sth16s etc.

    Lmk if I need to move this or it’s covered elsewhere. I have searched and come up with squat. Thanks and bring the snow!

  2. #2
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    21 views and no one has said Tech Talk Jong? Or Search function Jong?

    Here's one old thread. There might be more. https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...ight=grip+walk

  3. #3
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    If you tend to wipe out a lot it probably isn’t a good idea. You could always have it release tested at a shop. That said I’ve done it, but I don’t wipe out much.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by old goat View Post
    21 views and no one has said Tech Talk Jong? Or Search function Jong?

    Here's one old thread. There might be more. https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...ight=grip+walk
    Sorry man. The site wasn’t working well and couldn’t even access tech talk. Search function also netted no useful info (as I mentioned) not trying to bum anyone out. Just looking for some real world experience.

    Appreciate the thread link and will check it out.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by powcom View Post
    Sorry man. The site wasn’t working well and couldn’t even access tech talk. Search function also netted no useful info (as I mentioned) not trying to bum anyone out. Just looking for some real world experience.
    Modern bindings like Marker Griffon ID are designed to automatically adjust for the rockered GripWalk sole vs. the flat bottom of an alpine sole, whereas your old bindings won't. Even with ID bindings, you need to adjust the toe height accordingly (quarter to half turn is what my guy told me, probably more if you're using old bindings). You may also want to adjust the DIN a half setting or so lower. According to what I've heard from ski techs, their insurance companies have told them that GripWalk soles release harder than conventional alpine soles, so they ease the DIN back somewhat to compensate. Could be the rocker, could be the grippy rubber that makes it release harder, but based on my own side by side tests, it appears to be true.

    Disclosure: I'm not a ski tech, I've just been looking into this myself recently because I want to switch back and forth between my resort boots and touring boots and use the same bindings. So I decided to dump one pair of old Griffons and replace them with the ID model. Plus make the above mentioned adjustments to toe height and DIN.

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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by powcom View Post
    Can I run grip walk boots in any of my Salomon bindings from the last 15 years as long as the toe height is adjusted right or will I die? Old driver toes to the current sth16s etc.
    You can do whatever you want, there is certainly plenty of toe height adjustment in any of the Driver toes. Lots of people have run full ISO 9523 soles in them without dying, not sure about how many have sustained lower leg injuries. Lots of ski professionals in this group.

    According to Salomon/Amer Sports, GripWalk is not compatible with older 9xx bindings (that includes STH).

    Last year they said STH2 toes were only ISO 5355 (alpine) and WTR, this year the rep says GripWalk is OK (the GripWalk vs WTR war had political overtones, and I take this to mean Amer has thrown in the towel - Look said their AW Dual bindings were GripWalk compatible straight away). Any Salomon binding that says MNC is fine (Warden/Shift, not STH2).

    If you're doing your own mounting/adjusting, and don't mind rolling the dice on occasion, go ahead. If you take your skis to a shop, the answer will be "only STH2."

  8. #8
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    the din chart is the din chart no changes have been made for grip walk nor insurance companies babble
    i dont know any techs who think different or have heard different
    "When the child was a child it waited patiently for the first snow and it still does"- Van "The Man" Morrison
    "I find I have already had my reward, in the doing of the thing" - Buzz Holmstrom
    "THIS IS WHAT WE DO"-AML -ski on in eternal peace
    "I have posted in here but haven't read it carefully with my trusty PoliAsshat antenna on."-DipshitDanno

  9. #9
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    Some interesting/good info. Looks like evo and gregL have the same thoughts. Kinda sucks as I don’t want to be stupid. Typical alpine boots have the small flat spot that typically interfaces with the afd. GW doesn’t. I assume heel stays the same and twisting is same. From what I see just a full forward (tomahawk) fall, might pressure the afd and not twist the same. The torque test won’t catch this sort of test/fall anyway. Thanks fellas. Still not sure what the final verdict is, but appreciate the thoughts.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by skifishbum View Post
    the din chart is the din chart no changes have been made for grip walk nor insurance companies babble
    i dont know any techs who think different or have heard different
    That isn't exactly the point.

    The relationship between skier weight, height, skier type, BSL (and sometimes age) doesn't change according to sole type.

    However, the ski industry seems to think you should pair "compatible" sole types and binding types for the DIN chart recommendations to be valid. All of our techs are aware that GripWalk soles need to be paired with bindings that say "GW", "AW", MNC (Amer), ID (Marker), or AT (Tyrolia) for indemnification purposes. How much of this is due to a desire to sell new bindings is an open question; the fact that Look AW bindings are GripWalk compatible in the "alpine" setting is a bit suspicious.

  11. #11
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    you can discuss compatibility all you want
    but the din chart hasnt changed nor does anything an insurance company talking head has to say changes it
    this is a fact
    and after you leave the shop they are yur binders and you can set them any way you want
    "When the child was a child it waited patiently for the first snow and it still does"- Van "The Man" Morrison
    "I find I have already had my reward, in the doing of the thing" - Buzz Holmstrom
    "THIS IS WHAT WE DO"-AML -ski on in eternal peace
    "I have posted in here but haven't read it carefully with my trusty PoliAsshat antenna on."-DipshitDanno

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by skifishbum View Post
    you can discuss compatibility all you want
    but the din chart hasnt changed nor does anything an insurance company talking head has to say changes it
    this is a fact
    and after you leave the shop they are yur binders and you can set them any way you want
    So you tell the guy who walks into your shop with a new GripWalk boot and a 10-year old Pivot that you'll mount them and as long as they test out to his indicated DIN he's good to go?

  13. #13
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    no but if he wants to know his din setting would be i could certainly do that
    and i certainly have run non compatable at boots in about every binding
    and certainly didnt die yet
    once again you want to argue binding boot interfaces compatibility
    and im trying to explain to yeah man that no
    gripwalk didnt/doesnt change the din chart and no the insurance companies wont either unless every manufactuer agrees
    and that aint happening
    and yes the shop i work for and the sfb/wps mancave shop operate in different manners
    one takes pots as payment and doesnt have any indemnification agreements with any manufactuers
    personally i think, know and have tested, many metal binders that are still fully functional despite indemnification
    likewise for boot binding interfaces
    "When the child was a child it waited patiently for the first snow and it still does"- Van "The Man" Morrison
    "I find I have already had my reward, in the doing of the thing" - Buzz Holmstrom
    "THIS IS WHAT WE DO"-AML -ski on in eternal peace
    "I have posted in here but haven't read it carefully with my trusty PoliAsshat antenna on."-DipshitDanno

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by skifishbum View Post
    no but if he wants to know his din setting would be i could certainly do that
    and i certainly have run non compatable at boots in about every binding
    Well, I tell people what the shop will set their bindings at given a certain set of answers on their mount form every day at work.

    Off the record, I MAY tell them that the system is very conservative by design, and while the chart says I should be at "8" I set my bindings at "12," or that I skied for years on Salomon STH's with Scarpa touring soles without hurting myself.

    If they buy a new GripWalk soled boot, however, I am careful to tell them the shop will expect them to provide an officially GripWalk-compatible binding to mount.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by powcom View Post
    Typical alpine boots have the small flat spot that typically interfaces with the afd. GW doesn’t.
    GripWalk soles DO have a smooth AFD contact pad, it is shaped and angled a bit differently, but the net result is that the height between AFD and top of the boot lug is similar to alpine ISO standards (19mm plus or minus 1mm) even though the lugged rubber of the sole is much thicker than the flat ISO 5355 sole. If it doesn't have a hard, smooth AFD pad on the sole it is probably ISO 9523 (touring standard), not GripWalk.

  16. #16
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    🤟thanks. I think I just run GW boots and the many generations of salomons I have is the answer. Seems to be not indemnified, but not a off the wall stupid idea. I’ll likely leave the din where it is or adjust if it warrants.

  17. #17
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    Befote i bought a jiga rex i just had the shop drill the holes with a jig. Then just screwed the bindings in my self. Been using my og solly/cast set up for 4? years now. I set the din a bit higher than a din chart to start the year. A couple easier releases than id like and they go up 1 din for the rest of the year. They work fine. Din ends up to be set at the same number as my alpine boots(not very scientific). The afd aligns with the gripwalk afd. Unscrew the toe and wipe the grease off the threads and apply blue locktite though. The toe height set screw will be holding on to less thread overlap with the pedestal and will come loose too often without loctite

    Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

  18. #18
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    working at Olympics I noticed all kinds of setups, course workers with AT boots in alpine bindings, 30 yr old AT boots you name it
    but they were just getting around on skis not skiing the slippers who were actualy gona ski pushing a foot of wet snow were all using real indemnifyed setups

    I never seen any of them with half baked gear
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    working at Olympics I noticed all kinds of setups, course workers with AT boots in alpine bindings, 30 yr old AT boots you name it . . .
    The Vancouver Olympics was 10 years ago.

    GripWalk, WTR, MNC, SoleID, etc. did not exist; all you had to choose from were alpine soles and touring soles. Many people, myself included, stuck touring soles in alpine bindings and went about their business. Salomon seemed the best option because of the toe height adjustability.

  20. #20
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    A lot of ski coachs call them coaching boots, not touring boots. And their "coaching" boots are most often stuck in an alpine binding. Tr9's stuck in 997's, 3 pair of goggles, 2 skarves, and extra gloves were the ticket for the annual 6 weeks of -30c lake louise. My toes wish alpine boots never existed.
    Grip walk works a treat

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  21. #21
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    one of my neighbors uses the scarpa ntn boot in a salomon binding for coaching

    The garmont AT boots with the swapable soles were popular 10 yars ago

    one of my ski buds is a regular at the lake
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    one of my neighbors uses the scarpa ntn boot in a salomon binding for coaching

    The garmont AT boots with the swapable soles were popular 10 yars ago

    one of my ski buds is a regular at the lake
    I havent had a pass to the lake in years. It should be pretty sweet this year with the addition of west bowl , maintenance gulley snd deepthroat, especially if they control pipestone and burnt trees. Theyve added a fair bit of "permanent closure" terrain as well the last few years. It'll be interesting to see how far the bc skiers push to now that the former slackcountry is now inbounds.Great terrain at the lake it just needs more snow some years

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