kingpin 13 vs shift2 13

The Kingpin tours like a tech binding, the Shift2 skis like an alpine — pick by which side of the day matters more.

The Marker Kingpin 13 and Salomon Shift2 13 sit at the same DIN rating and target the same skier — someone who wants one binding to climb on skins and ski hard on the way down. But they get there from opposite directions. The Kingpin is a tech binding with a beefed-up alpine-style heel; the Shift2 is an alpine binding with tech pin inserts that flip out for touring. That single design split decides almost everything about how each rides.

Uphill: the Kingpin wins by ~270 g per binding

On the up, the Kingpin tours like a classic tech binding — pure pin connection, low rotational drag, fast transitions. The Shift2 weighs ~920 g per binding versus the Kingpin's ~650-695 g; over a 1,500 m climb that ~540 g/pair gap is real. You also feel the Shift2's toe-flip transition: 30-60 extra seconds at every track switch. If half your days are skin track days, the Kingpin pays you back every time.

Downhill: the Shift2 is the more reassuring binding

In ski mode the Shift2 locks into a full alpine release pattern with ~47 mm of toe elastic travel — the same behavior as a fixed alpine binding. The Kingpin's tech toe gives you ~3 mm of toe elastic; the alpine-style heel adds 9-11 mm of heel elastic, which is more than a pure tech binding but well short of the Shift2. Hit a buried rock hard or push the binding through a sloppy stop and the Shift2 absorbs more before pre-releasing. If you ski hard, charge variable terrain, or weigh over 85 kg with edges-on technique, the Shift2 buys you a margin the Kingpin doesn't.

Boot compatibility: only the Shift2 takes alpine boots

The Shift2 is a true multi-norm binding — it accepts ISO 5355 alpine soles, ISO 9523 touring soles, and GripWalk. You can run one ski with the Shift2 and swap between an alpine boot for resort days and a tech-insert boot for tour days. The Kingpin only takes pin-insert boots (ISO 9523 with tech fittings). If a tech-insert boot is the only boot you ski, this doesn't matter; if you want one binding that spans two boots, the Shift2 is the only option of the pair.

Which type of skier each is for

Pick the Kingpin 13 if your primary use case is touring with the occasional resort day on the way back — light enough to feel natural going up, capable enough on the way down for most skiers. Pick the Shift2 13 if your primary use case is freeride/resort with the occasional sidecountry tour — alpine-grade descent performance with a touring mode you can use, not one you'd plan a multi-day around. A rough rule of thumb: more than ~30 tour days a year, lean Kingpin; fewer than that, lean Shift2.