Arcade Belts

Will Brown

Belts Worn:

The Arcade Midnighter: worn ~35 days; ~10 days skiing

I’ve worn simple, military-style 1.5-inch “web” belts with a metal clasp every day of my adult, belt-wearing life, on the ski mountain and off—the only exception being when a classy occasion requires a leather dress belt.

I like web belts for their simplicity: plain, solid colors and the toothed closure is secure and easy to adjust. The material’s flexibility makes the belts more comfortable than stiffer, thicker leather belts often are.

It turns out, though, that adding some stretch to this sort of belt gives it the upper hand on “static” web ones. After wearing an Arcade belt every day for the last month, I’m pretty certain I have no reason to go back to my WWII-style web belts.

The stretchiness prevents the belt from pressing or digging into your hips at all if you wear low-cut jeans or wear your ski pants similarly low on your waist. This dexterity translates to good on- and off-snow comfort with a feel that is snug and secure, but not tight.

The belt’s clasp is very minimal, and blends well with the rest of the belt. (If you’re into flashy, mondo cowboy buckles, I’m not sure Arcade has much for you.) It takes two fingers to pinch and release the buckle, so it won’t come undone accidentally and won’t slip and loosen the belt. The slim profile makes threading the belt through belt loops as easy as it ought to be.

You may think, “Eh, belts are just belts,” but if you’re going to buy one to wear everyday, I don’t see any reason not to pick one of these up. Why shouldn’t a belt work as well as possible? (The colorways are pretty rad too, so you’ll likely find something you’ll like.)

You’ll read this on Arcade’s “About Us” page: “We make belts. They’re stretchy and they work better than anything that’s been wrapped around your waist before.”

Truth. Compare one against the other in terms of everyday comfort and functionality (skiing or not), and in my book Arcade wins over the Army-style I’ve rocked for years. I’m a fan.

Bottom Line

So far, we haven’t found anything we’d change about these belts, and we can’t really figure out what someone else might object to, unless you’re still into rocking a huge buckle.

If you’re going to bother to make a belt, you really ought to get it right.

Arcade has.