Best Belts

[Daverin]

As I remember, the payment required to have equipment approved in the IPF is pretty stiff. This a very obvious indication that the equipment list exists not to ensure consistency, but to generate revenue.

I think at first it was for just revenue, but at this point I think they are outright just playing favorites. The things they have done to the smaller businesses like Pioneer and Best suggest they are probably deliberately favoring their big names like SBD, Inzer, and Titan (especially SBD. I can't help but feel something fishy is going on with that relationship.) Why exactly, I don't know. It is kind of hard to not wonder if it is a matter of revenue versus... "individual revenue."

[marcf]

Exactly.

Notice how they aren't fucking around with shoes. Nike and Adidas would sue the IPF into oblivion with suits and probably even instigate racketeering charges. But with belts, they know they can fuck with the mom & pop companies because they simply don't have the resources to do much legally.

I'm not sure Nike or Adidas or Reebok would have the grounds to sue. IPF's house, IPF's rules. If a manufacturer paid to be on the approval list and got taken off the list in the middle of the year, they might sue. But for a company like Nike, if the fee is $5,000 it's not worth the legal hassle, whereas it would be more than a drop in the bucket for someone like Dean Best.

Again, politics. Competitors can voice their opinions by moving onto other federations, but I kinda get the feeling that many competitors will buy what's approved if they don't already own approved gear.

Another question is how many competitors will be affected by this? Enough to make a change? Inzer, Titan and SBD have the lion's share of the market.

[Simon Rest]

I do everything in a 3" belt, squat/bench/dead/press.

Maybe contacting one of the approved belt makers and they can custom make one? But I think needing to do that is bullshit. Best Belts didn't for some reason get approved (pay the fee), and they have been previously IPF-approved.

titan omega belts are 2.5" and are on the list. may be your only otpion

As I remember, the payment required to have equipment approved in the IPF is pretty stiff. This a very obvious indication that the equipment list exists not to ensure consistency, but to generate revenue. It is deeply unfortunate. I have a lifter competing in the Arnolds. She is 5' 0" and has two Best Belts that she loves. This will be interesting.

Powerlifting Australia coach at my gym, who's wife was the Aus distributor of Tital gear, told me it's $10k to get on the list. Seems like that might be an annual fee given what's happened to Best's

[Daverin]

No one is going to buy Inzer and Titan belts when Pioneer (and Best) make the same or better quality belts, for less money.

This right here? A huge part of why I suspect foul play. I think Inzer and Titan know that the smaller companies could cause problems if they had access to the biggest federation. Especially Pioneer. And I'd bet SBD would rather not let the innovative guy who likes meeting new requests and challenges have good reason to come up with a quick-adjust design of his own.

[marcf]

No one is going to buy Inzer and Titan belts when Pioneer (and Best) make the same or better quality belts, for less money.

SBD still has a unique feature for their belt, and they are great quality (apparently).

Rehband makes some of the worst knee sleeves for the money, yet only SBD and Titan are approved.

I'm waiting for approved underwear manufacturers to be on the next list.

I actually tried to convince Katie Rutherford to buy a Best Belt or Pioneer when her belt got stolen and she said, "I'm going to get another Inzer because my belt has to be IPF approved." And that was when Best was still on the IPF approved list.

[marcf]

I'm going to get a Pioneer belt soonish. Need to wait for some certain stock and narrow down options. I'm excited. Will probably be the last belt I ever buy for myself (in 4").

The belts are really nice, as I'm sure you already know by everyone praising them. When I bought my belt, custom colors and stitching and all, they quoted me 4-week turnaround time and I actually received the belt in 2 weeks.

Edit: I tried searching around for what the fees are for approved equipment, and they're in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars for the IPF. That's insane. While searching around, I found this thread in RTS along with a petition to sign from 2014. Looks like this uproar isn't anything new and that nothing is ever going to change the IPF's stance.

There's also this thread from Rip's Q&A forum that same year.

[manveer]

Yeah, I got my hoe a custom belt and I have a 3 incher.

#startinglength

[manveer]

Fuck you, Manveer! Beat me to the punch again.

lol sry bb, just trying to promote your program so you can keep paying for online coaching from swoleesi. send me those form checks you mentioned in your log, btw.

[Kje_simen]

How large is the difference in looks between a Best/GLC belt and an Inzer? I have a Best belt and there is no obvious way, to me at least, to tell who manufactured it. Could it be possible to just say its an Inzer belt at a meet and have them approve it?

[marcf]

Fuck you, Manveer! Beat me to the punch again.

Joke's on us--I'm 92% sure he wasn't talking about his belt.

How large is the difference in looks between a Best/GLC belt and an Inzer? I have a Best belt and there is no obvious way, to me at least, to tell who manufactured it. Could it be possible to just say its an Inzer belt at a meet and have them approve it?

I asked that very same question.