“I needed better products so I could take my performance to a higher level. In 2006, we launched SHRED. and created our own superior goggle and protection technologies. Today, we make the best eyewear and protective gear for skiers, snowboarders, and mountain bikers. PERIOD.”
Ted Ligety, Co-Founder | Chairman | 2x Olympic Gold Medalist | 5x World Champion
OUR FRIENDSHIP
SHRED. and Slytech began with a friendship and a shared commitment to enhancing our time in the mountains. And through the years, we’ve remained true to these roots.
I first met Carlo in the winter of 2005. When not working as a materials engineer, he raced for fun and tapped his extensive experience with carbon fiber to develop his own ski equipment. As someone who constantly tinkered with his own gear, I was intrigued by Carlo’s work. Consequently, we quickly became friends and began collaborating on prototypes. Soon, some of the best skiers in the world began sporting his shinguards. And within a year of working together, I was able to take these products to the top of the Olympic podium. From this momentum and thirst for innovation, Slytech Protection was born.
Immediately, we began turning heads. Yet our vision transcended the race course. I was part of a new generation of skiers who raced but didn’t wish to be defined or constrained by it. We loved hitting the park, slashing pow turns, and hucking cliffs. Like many of my friends, I was just as influenced by freeskiing and snowboarding as I was by racing. Consequently, Carlo and I aimed to embrace and unite all snowsports. At the time, this approach was as unique as it was raw.
In the fall of 2006, we debuted SHRED. As with Slytech, our plans were simple. We wanted to develop products that looked as good as they performed—and not just on the race course, but also in the park and backcountry. Our inaugural collection consisted of a single goggle frame, available in a healthy dose of neon. Iconic, original, loud—whatever you called them, our goggles were visible from across the valley. About this same time, we also launched the first soft back protector with Slytech, which was soon worn by top freeskiers, snowboarders, and racers.
With hustle and grit, we worked to further refine our vision for SHRED. and Slytech. When not slaving away over R&D inside a garage, Carlo hijacked a corner of his father’s office in Venice, Italy for our global headquarters. Meanwhile, we ran our US operations out of my attic in Park City, enlisting our friends as sales reps. We didn’t have a business plan, but we had plenty of ambition.
Today, we have a few more products to our name, but our commitment to innovation is stronger than ever. Whether developing helmets, back protectors, sunglasses, or goggles, we’re pioneering fresh technology and emerging as a market leader—while proudly maintaining our status as underdogs. By blending performance and style, Slytech and SHRED. help you have fun, stay safe, and push your limits. And ten years in, we’re still building the products of our dreams.
Ted Ligety
SHRED. RELAUNCH
OUR VALUES