In the early 1940's, Swiss inventor George de Mestral went on a walk with his dog... Upon his return home, he noticed that his dog's coat and his pants were covered with cockleburrs. His inventor's curiosity led him to study the burrs under a microscope, where he discovered their natural hook-like shape.

This was to become the basis for a unique, two-sided fastener - one side with stiff "hooks" like the burrs and the other side with the soft "loops" like the fabric of his pants. The result was VELCRO® brand hook and loop fasteners, named for the French words "velour" and "crochet."

Today Velcro Industries N.V. is a technology-driven, global organization providing fastening solutions for businesses and consumers around the world.

There’s No Such Thing As “Velcro”

The fuzzy stuff. The sticky stuff. You’ve no doubt heard of it. But did you know that you can’t wear a pair of “Velcro” sandals or that you can’t even buy a piece of “Velcro”? That’s right, there’s no such thing as “Velcro.”

Not all hook and loop fasteners are genuine VELCRO® brand products! As an industry leader, the Velcro trademark and brand name conveys superior quality, exceptional performance, and unsurpassed reliability. The reputation of the Velcro companies is ingrained in the VELCRO® trademark, making it a valuable asset to the company.

Now you know what “Velcro” is. It is the name of a group of companies, and it is a trademark for our products. It is not the generic name of stuff that fastens shoes, clothing, and hundreds of other things. That “stuff” is hook and loop fasteners. For best-in-class hook and loop fasteners, ask for genuine VELCRO® brand products.