Although some skiers may not like it, at this point one thing is obvious: snowboarding is here to stay. Yes, the slopes will never be quite the same again and I, for one, applaud the athletic diversity. Of course, snowboarding vs. skiing continues to be one of the favorite topics of winter athletes everywhere. Which one is more challenging, which one requires more skill and of course, which one has the better clothes. Now, I am a skier. However, I have to say that when it comes to clothes, snowboarders win, hands down, in the area of footwear. While skiers (at least, downhill skiers) have to deal with inflexible, rigid boots, snowboarders' boots look almost normal! They are flexible, soft and can be easily taken on and off: I am extremely jealous.

Of course, the reason snowboarders can have boots like this is that the bindings of snowboards allow for it. In both skiing and snowboarding, it is the bindings that dictate the type of footwear required. There are several different kinds of snowboard bindings. All are designed to hold the snowboarder's boots tightly in place so that his or her energy can be efficiently transferred to the board. However, the manner in which the boots are held varies somewhat.

The most common kind of snowboard bindings are strap-in. Interestingly, they are also the most technical in design. The foot is held on the board with two buckle straps; one across the top of the toe area, one across the ankle area. They can be ratcheted closed for a tight fit, which allows the rider good control of the board. The downside to this kind of binding is that they take some time to put on. The snowboarder often has to sit in the snow, bending over to adjust the straps. Also, because there are two points of pressure, the strap locations must be adjusted for each individual rider, making it more cumbersome for rental operations.

Step-in bindings developed in response to the inconvenience of the technical strap-in models. Step-ins use a technology similar to the clip-less pedals in cycling, allowing the bindings to snap and engage stiff hardware on the rider's boots. These bindings can be a good choice for beginner snowboarders, and they are popular in rental situations for their relative ease of use. However, they do now create the same level of responsiveness as strap-in bindings.

Rear entry bindings combine aspects of both step-in and strap-in models. The foot enters the binding through the back, which then clips into place, rather than the top. The foot is then held down by straps or webbing, which can be adjusted. Such bindings create better control than step-ins, but they are not on par with strap-ins.

Any of the three kinds of bindings described above may be used by amateur or recreational snowboarders. However, for Alpine or racing snowboards, plate bindings are usually used. These are similar to the bindings used on skis in that they require hard, stiff boots, which add to the snowboarder's control and allow him to carve the snow more efficiently.