“The Highlanders have the look of the CIA Mainframe – black on black, cross-hatching, and a bunch of wires and components here, there and everywhere that you’re not entirely sure what they’re there for, but you better not touch them, just in case.

I rode the Highlanders on two very different boards. The first was the 157 Äsmo – a pure powder surfer. The second was on my old trusty steed – the Salomon Assassin. While these bindings are geared as all-mountain performers, I have to say I think they work best for those looking for a much looser, mobile feeling on the snowboard.

On the Äsmo, riding with the Highlanders felt like surfing on a cloud. I could move across the board with total freedom and felt completely connected to what was happening underfoot. On the Assassin, riding a little harder around the pistes and through the park, they just took a little more getting used to, but as soon as I found my freestyle legs again it all sort of clicked.

The Kevlar wire running from point to point around the back of the heel cup works like nothing else I’ve ridden. There’s loads of lateral flex with them, but you feel the entire binding moving with you and adapting to the constant shifts in pressure and movement taking place.

“On the Äsmo, riding with the Highlanders felt like surfing on a cloud. I could move across the board with total freedom and feel completely connected to what was happening underfoot.”

Where they didn’t feel quite as responsive for me was between the edges. Despite that really supportive highback, I never felt the sensation of getting sprung from the heelside edge back to the toes. Maybe that was down to the Kevlar wire, maybe it’s just a softer overall flex than what I’m used to. That’s not a criticism, though. It’s just not a feeling that necessarily suits every style of rider.

One thing worth noting, the heel hoops on these are pretty high up, so you definitely feel fully enclosed in the binding. The downside of this, for me, was that I felt a pressure point on the inside of my ankle for most of the time riding them.

Overall, the Highlanders sit as one of Salomon’s more premium bindings in the line and offer a bunch of support and a unique flex pattern. With the right boots strapped inside, they’d be super comfortable too.”

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