History of the American company Slidebelts Inc. dates back to 2004, when its founder was teaching in Moldova. Then he received an interesting gift from one of the students there – a ratchet belt. Instead of using worn out holes and an unreliable prong, this leather belt used something different - a tab on the buckle that ratcheted into teeth-like ridges sewn to the back of the leather strap.
This solution had - and still has - several advantages. The first is that the belt could be more minimalistic. Simply, the holes on the belt are missing and as a whole it looks really elegant in combination with the designer buckle. The second and even more fundamental advantage lies in the fact that you can adjust such a belt exactly to your liking in units of millimeters. There is no need to deal with the fact that your pants slip down in one hole and in the next one they are already too tight.
Moving to the USA
Brig realized that this could be a big hit back home in the United States. He immediately collaborated to improve and refine the buckle for the fashion world. As it turned out, the ratcheting buckle was already public domain, and their very own patent would not be possible until 9 years later when he improved and redesigned the buckle into a dual-ratchet lever.
Until then, they had to use the original buckle style - awkward buckle with a tiny protruding lever to activate the ratchet. Brig´s wife Michelle undertook the task of launching the belts on-line, Brig had a second job, to pay for inventory costs. The company grew from their garage into a new office space. With over 40,000 belts sold in 2013 and the recent success of their Kickstarter Survival Belt project, SlideBelts is well positioned to continue its exponential growth.
High-quality workmanship
Both of the founders of SlideBelts and their employees strive to use the best materials in their products. Some of the competitors use synthetic fillers in their belts, but SlideBelts does not. They supply their customers with high-quality, perfectly fitting belts that are comfortable, stylish and, above all, easy to adjust.
From idea to action
We have already mentioned Brig´s stay in Moldova in 2004. About three years later, more specifically, September 25, 2007, Brig Taylor officially founded Slidebelts Inc. In 2008, Brig married Michelle and both are still the executive managers of SlideBelts. Although the beginnings were hard, the main product had potential. Just keep it on the market!
In 2010, Brig and Michelle moved to El Dorado Hills, California. Finally moved out of their garage, the team has grown to 30+ additional team members and is still growing.
And what about already mentioned Survival Belt? This is a product that our customers might be interested in. It features built-in survival tools, for example cutting tool (small folding knife), bottle opener, fire starter and LED flashlight. Moreover, it is weather and abrasion resistant while style being stylish.