Freedom's don't use any plates to save weight.

Guys in the shop swore to me that Freeride plates are compatibly across the metal to plastic switch but I haven't tried it.

YMMV

You are definitely not alone - I broke 3 or 4 metal toe cups in the first 2 or 3 years I was skiing NTN and I am only 165 lbs. Hasn't happened to me in at least two seasons - I've never broken a toe cup on an NTN that wasn't orange, so I assumed Rottefella had addressed the issue. It did always happ...