Preview: 2025 Salomon Strive 16 MN 747 Edition

Salomon introduced the Strive collection of bindings for the 2023 season (Preview HERE). It was immediately acknowledged that the brand was all in with the new design and that the Warden as well as Sth2 bindings had a short future from that point. Salomon was adamant that the new Strive design’s significantly lower center of mass (COM) in the toe was a far superior design and would create a better skiing experience. While the Warden wasn’t as popular or well received as the patriarch of the Salomon binding lore, the “Driver” toe, and would not be missed, the Driver faithful were distraught that the Strive was going to replace their beloved Sth/Sth2 bindings. That is where the discontent came from. Well, for the Driver faithful and us old timers, Salomon is offering a version of the Strive that could appease many of the stalwarts with a new variant of the Strive, the Strive 16 MN 747.


A few years ago we, we as in me, asked Dave Petersen, our in-house graphic designer, to do the heavy lifting and create some mock ups of some Driver bindings that Salomon could easily do for their 75th anniversary. The designs that I asked Dave to create mock ups were from three different decades: the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. These included the first Salomon single pivot Driver model, the 727 Equipe, the very well best selling of all the Drivers ever, the 1984 747 Equipe, and lastly the 997 Equipe, the most popular Salomon from the 90s when Salomon came out with their skis. With the Driver near the end of its lifespan, we thought the retro concept was dead because we were told that Salomon didn’t want to live in the past. This and that the Strive’s carbon infused poly-amide body needed to stay black and could not change pigment, may have been said to throw us off the path. While that might have been the case initially, it is obviously not the case now.

The new Strive 16 MN 747 is one of the best homages we have seen. Considering the toe is obviously a different shape than the original, I have to say the results are as good as can be expected. Congrats to the team at Salomon for coming out with this design. I believe it is going to be one of the more popular and sought after bindings for this coming season. We look forward to seeing this white and red beauty out on the slopes.