DEVICE MFG. CORP.
School o' Thought: Das Boot

Device Mfg. Corp. built their binding with the boot in mind. One of the great things about snowboarding is the boot--they're comfortable, they're sexy, and if pressed, you could snow wrestling in them, no problem. What Device was looking to do was preserve the divinity of soft boots while escaping the hell of straps and buckles.

Something to note here: the above boot/binding set-ups have high-backs built into the boots. As a result you'll walk a little stiffer, and probably a little heavier (important if you hike). Device has kept the high-back out of the boot by designing a step-in system that closely resembles a traditional set-up, except there are no straps. What holds your boot to the binding are a peg built into the heel of the boot, and a bar underneath the toe of the boot that locks in to the binding ($178). The result is a seemingly low-tech approach that holds your solidly onto the board and preserves the feel of the soft boot as well as its relationship to the high- or low-back. Device shares a similarity with K2 in that they have adopted a heel/toe approach. The important differentiation is that Device has built a system for riders who don't want to give up the well-known (and loved) comfort, response, and feel of soft boots.

Device is the only producer of their boots (look for products from Lamar and Shift in the near future), and they currently offer three designs: The Titan (burly all-terrain boot, not for sissies, price $219), the Apollo (a free-riding boot that can take you anywhere on the mountain, price $210), and the Sputnik (low cut freestyle park and pipe boot for the jib-minded, price $205).