Velcro was invented in 1948 by George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer. The idea came to him after taking a close look at the seed pod burrs which kept sticking to his dog on their daily walk in the Alps.
Velcro comes in two parts: a "hook" side, which is a piece of fabric covered with tiny plastic hooks, and a "loop" side, which is covered in tiny plastic loops. When the two sides are pressed together, the hooks catch in the loops and hold the pieces together. When the sides are opened, the Velcro strips makes a telltale ripping sound. Since the name Velcro is a registered trademark, generic implementations often use the name "hook and loop."
Velcro bonds are not very strong; it is easy to pull them apart once they are connected. This is part of the utility of Velcro, however, since it can be used to close fabric containers that need to be re-opened often. It is also used a lot on shoes.
The strength of a Velcro bond depends on how much surface area is in contact with the Velcro hooks: full-body Velcro suits have been made that can hold a person to a Velcro-covered wall.
The US Army has the Velcro corporation investigating a silent version of Velcro for use with Army soldier uniforms.
Alternatives are buttons, zips, laces and buckles.
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