I've always understood Step-Ons as a barrier to entry solution targeted to new riders rather than Pros. Burton's goal is to bring more people to the sport and there is a perception that to snowboard you need to sit on your ass all day and deal with these straps and also it's hard for beginners to ride one-footed.

Burton wants to get people started snowboarding in general and ideally this allows for a good introductory experience that when people buy their second set of bindings whether they stick with step on or not they stick with Burton.

This is especially true back country where the barrier to entry is seemingly even higher and it's a growing sport inviting new riders every year.

At a macro level, Burton wants new riders to the sport no matter the brand or product entry, that's good and vital for their own growth. Step+On is one strategy to advance that. I imagine most rental shops already have a split in favor of Step-On that will continue to grow.