Nitro Step On Binding Review

A Detailed Breakdown Of How the Nitro Step On Rides And Who It Is For Review by The Good Ride

• User Reviews
• Product Specs
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How The Nitro Step On Binding It Was Tested:

I borrowed the Nitro Step On Binding for an extended demo and sent it back.

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Days: 2 (One day riding and one day comparing)
Conditions: Varied Late Spring Conditions
Riders:  James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-190lbs). I’ve tested and compared 800+ boards, over 180 bindings and 100+ boots
Boots: Burton Ion Step On
Insoles: Footprint Kingfoam Orthotic Elite
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Skyline Fuse Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Skyline Faze Pant,
Helmet: Smith Method
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Drop Tahoma Mitt,

Boards: YES Standard Xtrm (A Stiffer Standard Uninc)

Similar (but not the same) Bindings: Burton Step On, Union Atlas Step On & Burton Genesis Step On

When I compared these, I would put one Nitro on one foot and one Atlas on the other. Then I put on the Genesis Step On. That’s the best way to feel what’s going on underfoot.

Weight

With screws and discs in for regular boards—not EST—the Nitro Step On’s are 1 pound 14oz in comparison to the Atlas Step On at 1 pound 15oz and 1 pound 14oz for the Burton Genesis Step On. But even with the heavier Ion Step On, which is 2 pounds 9 ounces, it wasn’t heavy. Overall it’s a pretty light overall set up despite the Burton Step On boots being medium bordering on heavy just because the bindings are so light.

Highback Flex

The Nitro Step On has a pretty stiff high back pulling straight back and the twist isn’t too much either. The Union Atlas Step On has a lot more twist and a lot more give. So does the Burton Genesis and I think this is closest to the Burton Step On Binding more than any other Step On binding when it comes to High Back Flex. In a lot of ways it really does feel like the Nitro version of the original Burton Step On in terms of Highback Flex.

Adjustability

The Nitro Step On has limited boot-to-binding adjustability. You can slightly adjust and rotate the high back and play around with the forward lean, but not much. It is just two screws that slightly twist or create forward lean but it’s not much for either.

I wish it had the adjustable forward lean that the Genesis EST Step On has, but it seems Burton is keeping that for now with their proprietary tech which sucks.

You can slide the gas pedal forward or backward a little bit to get your boot’s size correctly over the gas pedal but it doesn’t have heel adjustability to truly center your boot in the binding. Instead you will have to slide the disc edge to edge.

When it comes to stance width adjustability, you have none. You cannot slide this tip to tail—only edge to edge—unless you get a channel system board but there is only 2-3 brands outside of Burton that adopted this system. Burton used to have a disc that they sold separately that was turned sideways so you could slide it a little bit tip to tail, but they’re very hard to find these days and you can’t slide very much tip to tail either. You might not be able to get it centered and get the stance width you want. So that’s a bit of a bummer.

This is why I still prefer the Union Atlas because they still use traditional disc mounts so all you have to do is buy their Camber Discs. Then you can turn them sideways and slide them tip to tail. While I can’t get much more adjustability outside of that, other than the gas pedal and screwing in something to get a little forward lean if you want, there’s no high back rotation. But at least you have more twist, so it transfers better edge to edge.

Flex Underfoot

The Nitro Step On has that same Burton Re:Flex tech that really allows you easy flex underfoot. I could feel the board flexing naturally underneath my feet and just like the Atlas does to a lesser extent—but still far more flexy than a regular Atlas. I think this is one of the key differentiators between bindings like the Nidecker Supermatics and Clue because both have a stiffer plastic type base plate that does not allow the board to flex easy underfoot.

Shock Absorption Dampness

As Far as Step On Goes, the Nitro Step On is going to have the most damp and shock absorbent ride. After testing this against the Atlas Step On, Burton Genesis Step On, and the memories of previous Step On Tests, I think it’s the dampest Step On binding I’ve tried.

This closed cell foam that looks like a cooler but just feels super durable and burly in person has such good shock absorption. And they have it throughout the binding. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to break down easily. It’s much stiffer than the soft, squishy Genesis, but not as stiff as this foam.

Although the EVA foam on the Atlas Step On is soft and shock absorbent, it just didn’t feel as shock absorbent and as damp as this. But all three of them—the Genesis Step On, the Nitro Step On, and the Atlas Step On—provide A-level tier shock absorption.

Turn Initiation/Response

All Step On Bindings are exceptionally fast when it comes to response and the Nitro Step On Binding is no exception. I would say this was the most responsive vs the Atlas and Genesis, but even when I put one Atlas on one foot and one Nitro on the other, I didn’t feel a huge disparity in response. They all worked pretty well together.

I felt like with all of these Step On Bindings and my Burton Ion’s, I was one step away from hard booting. Step On’s, paired with a responsive boot, can definitely overpower a board and make it feel hooky till you get used to it.

Carving

All Step Ons have more overhang on the heel side because of the Step On mechanism. So they’re not ideal for carving and a bit lopsided unless you have a really wide board in relation to your boot size.

You’re going to get a much better turning experience with normal bindings, Flow quick release, and to a lesser extent, the new Phase tech. It’s not quite as good as Flow or normal bindings but it’s better than Step On.

Stepping In/Out

The Nitro Step On, like all Step On bindings is easy to step in but can be a little challenging stepping out. The more I do it, the less I like it. I thought I would get more used to how it sticks around the toes but after almost 5 years of testing Step On bindings/Boots it’s just not getting any better. I’m not saying all will feel this way but some, like me will for sure not like the feeling stepping out.

Final Thoughts

So for me personally, I haven’t been converted to Step On yet because I’m missing a few key things that I like not being so locked into the high back that it limits your range of motion from tip to tail. I could live with that if it wasn’t for the lack of adjustability, because that’s huge for me and for many riders. Espcecially stance width adjustability. It’s something that doesn’t seem like a big deal until you can’t get the stance width you want and then it’s hugely frustrating.

But man, it’s hard to argue with the convenience. For me personally, I’m sticking with my Union Force and my Nitro Team TLS. That works best for me.

But if Step On keeps improving ways to make the bindings more adjustable and brands keep working on improving the lateral flex—hell, I might be in for shaving a few minutes off each day, stepping in and stepping out with Step On.