ski / binding compatibility
Alpine Binding Compatibility Checker
Do your ski boots fit your bindings? Check in 5 seconds.
Do your ski boots fit your bindings? It depends on two things: your boot sole norm and your binding certification. Alpine soles (ISO 5355) fit every step-in binding here; the one place they do not go is a tech pin binding, which needs inserts in the boot rather than a sole norm. GripWalk soles (ISO 23223) only fit bindings marked GripWalk, MNC, ID or AT. Touring soles (ISO 9523) need MNC, Marker ID or Tyrolia AT, and a frame binding only if its manual says it takes them. A GripWalk boot in an old alpine-only binding will not release predictably in a fall and is a safety risk. Which is the whole point of this page: a boot that clicks in is not the same as a boot that releases, and the boot clicking in tells you nothing about what the binding will do when you fall. Select your boot sole and binding below to check compatibility.
This checker covers alpine (downhill) equipment: sole norms ISO 5355, GripWalk ISO 23223, touring ISO 9523 and WTR against every binding family. For cross-country systems (NNN, SNS, Prolink, Turnamic) see the Nordic Binding Compatibility Checker.
Step 1
Your boot sole
Step 2
Your binding
Compatibility matrix
Every boot sole against every binding family at a glance. "Inserts only" means the pair works only through a tech/pin interface, which is not alpine release-certified.
A YES in this table is not permission to ski. The makers attach the same condition to every pairing they call compatible: Salomon, Atomic and Armada write that any boot and binding combination, even one identified as compatible in their chart, must be installed, adjusted, tested and regularly maintained by an authorized dealer. Compatible means the parts are certified for each other, not that the setup is safe until somebody has set it up.
| Boot sole ↓ / Binding → | Standard alpine | GripWalk | WTR | MNC | Marker ID | Tyrolia AT | Frame touring | Tech/pin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine (ISO 5355) | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | inserts only |
| GripWalk (ISO 23223) | NO | YES | check manual | YES | YES | YES | YES | inserts only |
| Touring (ISO 9523) | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES | check manual | inserts only |
| WTR (Walk to Ride) | NO | NO | YES | YES | check manual | YES | YES | inserts only |
| Non-compliant touring (tech-only) | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | inserts only |
Where these numbers come from
The ISO numbers on this page name the types, not the verdicts. ISO 5355, ISO 23223 and ISO 9523 define what an alpine, a GripWalk and a touring sole are, and ISO 9462 and ISO 13992 are the test standards a binding is certified to. None of them publishes a table of which boot goes in which binding, so no cell in the matrix above is an ISO ruling.
25 of the 40 pairs come from one maker's own chart, the Salomon, Atomic and Armada Boot and Binding Compatibility poster, read cell by cell from the document rather than from somebody's summary of it. Those are the standard alpine, GripWalk, WTR, MNC and tech/pin rows against all five soles.
The remaining 15 pairs are the three families that poster does not cover: Marker ID, Tyrolia AT and frame touring. Marker and Tyrolia publish compatibility claims of their own and this site has not read them at first hand, so those three rows follow from what the sole and binding norms define rather than from those makers' lists, and where the norms leave room the verdict here is the cautious one. They are this site's reading, not a maker's statement, and the manual for your own binding outranks them.
Why boot sole and binding compatibility matters
A GripWalk boot placed in a non-GripWalk alpine binding puts extra pressure on the toe piece. The binding will not release properly in a fall, the effect is similar to cranking the DIN far too high, and it carries a serious injury risk even though the boot appears to click in normally. Compatibility is a safety question, not a convenience one: the sole and the binding have to be certified for each other so the release values the technician sets actually behave as intended. This is the complement to your DIN setting: compatibility decides if the boot fits, DIN decides how it releases.
The four soles a binding can be built for: ISO 5355, ISO 23223, ISO 9523 and WTR
Three of these four are ISO norms and the fourth is not, which is why you will see both counts. Since July 2021 the ISO framework defines three sole norms: ISO 5355 (Alpine, flat hard plastic), ISO 9523 (Touring, rockered rubber) and ISO 23223 (GripWalk, lightly rockered rubber). WTR (Walk to Ride) sits outside ISO and is being retired. Ultralight non-compliant touring soles meet none of these step-in norms and only work with tech/pin bindings. One extra wrinkle for families: ISO 5355 comes in Type C (child) and Type A (adult), an adult sole does not fit junior bindings, so kids' setups need matched junior gear.
How to identify what binding you have
Check the toe piece for markings. A GW logo means GripWalk. MNC in the name (Salomon, Atomic, Armada) means Multi Norm Certified. An ID suffix on a Marker binding (Squire ID, Griffon ID) is Marker's multi-norm system. AT in a Tyrolia name (Attack2 AT) marks its multi-norm toe. No markings at all usually means alpine-only (ISO 5355). An adjustable or sliding AFD (the anti-friction plate under the toe) is a strong hint that the binding is multi-norm.
GripWalk took over: what it means for your old bindings
Most new recreational boots, including nearly all rental stock, now ship with GripWalk soles. If your bindings are from before about 2016 and carry no GW marking, a new GripWalk boot is not safe in them. You have three options: replace the bindings with a GripWalk or MNC model, swap the sole blocks if your boot has replaceable ones, or buy a boot with a flat ISO 5355 sole. Do not simply force the fit, a technician cannot make an uncertified pair release correctly.
Race boots and other exceptions
True alpine race boots often have soles that are thicker than the ISO 5355 spec and must be planed and canted to norm before they will work safely in a standard binding. Frame touring bindings carry their own exceptions: some early models (for example the original Salomon Guardian, before MNC) did not accept ISO 9523 touring soles, so a frame binding is not an automatic yes for touring boots. When in doubt for any of these edge cases, the binding's own manual is the authority.
What this checker does not replace
This tool tells you whether a sole norm and a binding family are certified for each other. It does not replace a professional mount, adjustment and release test on a calibrated binding tester. Certification says the parts can work together; only a dynamometric test confirms that your setup releases at the value it should. Always finish with a certified technician before you ski.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use GripWalk boots in old alpine bindings?
No, unless the binding is marked GW, MNC, ID or AT. A GripWalk sole in a plain alpine-only binding will not release predictably in a fall. Replace the binding, swap the sole block, or use an ISO 5355 boot.
What is the difference between ISO 5355 and ISO 23223?
ISO 5355 is the flat, hard-plastic alpine sole. ISO 23223 is the GripWalk sole: a lightly rockered rubber profile that is easier to walk on. GripWalk became an official ISO norm in July 2021. They are only interchangeable in bindings marked for GripWalk (GW, MNC, ID or AT).
Do MNC bindings accept every boot?
MNC (Multi Norm Certified) bindings accept all four step-in norms: alpine ISO 5355, GripWalk ISO 23223, touring ISO 9523 and WTR. They do not accept non-compliant ultralight touring boots, which have no step-in sole and need a tech/pin binding.
What is WTR and is it still used?
WTR (Walk to Ride) is a legacy Salomon/Atomic crossover sole from before GripWalk. It works in WTR, MNC and AT bindings but is being phased out in favor of GripWalk. New boots rarely ship with it.
Can touring boots (ISO 9523) go in GripWalk bindings?
No. A GripWalk binding takes only ISO 5355 and GripWalk soles. An ISO 9523 touring sole is certified in an MNC, a Marker ID or a Tyrolia AT binding. A frame touring binding is NOT an automatic yes: some models built before MNC arrived, including the first Salomon Guardian, do not accept a rockered ISO 9523 sole at all, so check the manual for your exact binding and look for whether it lists ISO 9523 among the soles it accepts. Putting a touring sole in a GripWalk-only binding is not certified.
Do tech (pin) bindings care about sole norms?
No. Tech bindings clamp the metal inserts in the toe and heel, so the sole norm is irrelevant to whether the boot attaches. The catch: most tech bindings are not certified to alpine release standards, so have the release values set by a professional and understand the limitation.
Related Ski Tools
- Compatibility tells you IF the boot fits the binding. Release force (DIN) tells you how it releases. Set your DIN with the DIN Calculator.
- Worn sole lugs affect release, check boot age with the ski boot retirement checker.
- Make sure your boot stiffness suits your level with the ski boot flex calculator.
- For cross-country NNN, SNS, Prolink and Turnamic systems, use the Nordic Binding Compatibility Checker.
This tool covers certification norms only. Always have your bindings mounted, adjusted and release-tested by a certified technician before skiing.
Last updated: July 2026