Perhaps one more then innovative product is worth mentioning. I had a pair of Burt Bindings on my skis. These were thick plates with retractable metal cables that attached to anchors on the skis.
The theory was that, if properly adjusted for tension, the ski and boot would retain contact and angle during skiing. However, when tension pulled the skis and boots apart at greater tension levels, the cables would extend and then automatically retract. I was not yet an expert skier and so this rather obviously flawed system was not apparent.
I do remember one particularly bad fall in which skis did separate and then retract from my boots. My ankles were fine, so I guess it could be said that the system worked well. However, the angle that the skis caused my fall to take slammed my face and chest into the hard packed snow so badly that I ached for days.