When you’ve got a long strip of metal hanging by the sides of your shoes, it’s only logical to wonder whether or not those shoes will be comfortable in the first place. Besides being a convenience, since it takes much less time to just slide into your boot and zip it than to lace it, zippers also offer a better fit. When you lace-up your boots, there’s always the possibility that you have either overdone it or didn’t do it quite well, so you end up with a shoe that fits either too tightly or is too loose. And a lot of problems can arise from both!

Loose shoes can create blisters since your feet will move around and create friction, which can open up your skin quite fast. And you don’t have that much stability or balance, so you might injure yourself easier too. On the other hand, tight shoes create corns, calluses, bunions and a whole lot of other issues, which can be painful, unsightly and long lasting! So you’re doing your feet a favor by getting a pair with a zipper on the side.

The other question that might be hanging around your thoughts is, won’t that zipper cause a lot of discomfort for me on the inside? Well, think about it this way: zippers were made for convenience, so why would anyone bother with it if it weren’t comfortable in the first place? If you own a pair of side zipper boots, grab them and inspect the boot from the inside. Close the zipper and open it up; when the zipper is closed up, can you see it from the inside? Of course not!

Shoemakers care about how we feel, and our health, so they devised ways to protect us from the cold kiss of metal. An extra strip of material usually hides the teeth of the zippers, and it doesn’t let it come near our skin. Hardy stitches keep it in place, and if the zipper is good, you can tug it as much as you like, without risking tearing it away from the upper. Also, if you feel cramped up and stuffy there, you can always simply slide the zipper down and let your feet stretch and breathe!

Yes, zippers are handy, but how hardy are they? We’ve all had experience with zippers that give in after just a few uses, or zippers that pull on the surrounding materials, zippers that break off… Also, zippers can get stuck, or the teeth get broken and so on and so forth. Is investing in a boot with zippers a smart idea? Is there a way to fix all of this?

First things first, buy zippers that you know have quality. Plastic zippers are cheap, but they will break off in no time, especially if you pull on them like there is no tomorrow. Metal zippers are better, but there are still plenty of zippers being cheaply made every day, and it’s important to pick out the best ones. The YKK group, from Japan, creates the best zippers out there, so if you manage to find some made by this particular manufacturer, splurge! You’ll be in good hands.

But what if you’ve already bought a pair with cheaply made bonds and you don’t feel like going out and buying new boots just because of that one simple, yet crucial, detail? If your zipper keeps getting stuck, and you can’t convince it to come down, there are a few things you can try before going to the cobbler. Surprisingly enough, sometimes there is a super simple fix to this: a graphite pencil! Just rub the tip of the pencil on the teeth until it loosens, and if that doesn’t work, lip balm and soap work great too.

Lip balm and soap are especially helpful if the zipper keeps getting stuck in the fabric, or if it won’t close down! If it keeps getting opened, check the teeth - loose threads prevent them from clasping down, and teeth that don’t sit the right way can be troublesome too. Nothing a pair of pliers can’t fix! If the zipper can be closed up when you’re not wearing the boots, but it doesn’t want to hold it together when the boots are on your legs, then they must see the cobbler - you can’t just get a key ring and hook it around the button like you would with jeans! Of course, sometimes the teeth are top notch, but the pull gets broken - there is a simple fix to this though. Just get something that can fit through the little hole and that is strong enough (and that looks good enough), so you can keep using it like normal.

Zippers are all good and everything, but how protective are they? Will water break through them and invade your shoes? Do they insulate well enough to keep you warm at all times? Or, do they offer enough breathability?

First things first, let’s talk about water resistance. The teeth of the zippers seem loose enough to let water through, and they might just do that if it was poorly made. High-quality zippers offer enough protection from water, so you don’t have to worry about any type of liquid wiggling itself in. But what about that cloth on the sides? Well, you can waterproof that little part the same way you would waterproof other materials... With a protective spray!

There are many protective sprays out there, and some protection from more than just water. Apply the coat as many times as possible (don’t overdo it), and let it dry completely, and you’ll be protected. If you worry this is not enough, you can always buy already waterproofed zippers or whole boots, or you can buy sealants, that companies like YKK offer.

Since we’re talking about boots here, it’s important they keep you warm and looking good. You can’t be your best if your feet are freezing off! So, do zippers insulate? Yes, indeed they do! There is no reason to worry about all that precious heat escaping, since all the materials surrounding it work together to keep you toasty. The zipper is not a liability, and it won’t let the cold in. Just look at the boots made for hiking - plenty of them sport side zippers! But, zippers won’t let air circulate either, so don’t rely on them to offer airflow. The rest of the boot will do that since shoemakers know how to make a boot with proper circulation. If you’re feeling stuffed up though, there is one simple solution: just slide that zipper down and let all that fresh air in!

Zippers look great on boots made to look rugged, but what if we don’t want to look that way? Can you look stylish while having that convenience zippers offer at the same time? Truth be told, boots that have no zippers will always look clean and polished, while a zipper can be a distracting detail. So, if you truly want to have a shoe that is sleek, maybe opt for ones without a zipper. But who’s to say that a zipper can’t be a good detail too? Many zippers have beautiful pull tabs, and they can really improve the way a shoe looks. Crystals, bold colors, hanging details can all be worked into the way a pair looks and can aid your style.

If you really don’t like the way they look though, well, there’s a reason they sit on the side. They usually sit on the inner side of the shoe, hidden by our feet and the shoe itself. This way, it won’t ruin the look too much, and it will be invisible. The color of the zipper usually matches the color of the uppers too, so they can rarely be seen. You can’t exactly use invisible zippers on shoes, since they would rub your feet, so manufacturers tried every possible way to hide them, for people who don’t like to see them. But, there is no need to obsess about this - it’s better to own a super classy tall boot with a zipper, than to be left without one at all! Zippers can look sexy too, especially if matched black uppers or hot reds. Trust us, no one will notice the metal detail hanging from the sides!

Boots will always be heavier than your standard sneaker or dress pump. They have much more material on them, added construction details to make them strong, and heels for stability. All of this will add to the weight of the shoe, and we haven’t even mentioned the materials they can be made out of! Leather is a great material, but it’s very heavy, so maybe leather thigh highs won’t be such a good idea, no matter how great they look. If you worry zippers might add to the overall weight, you shouldn’t - they never weight more than just a few grams, and they won’t be the sole player in tiring your feet down.

Instead, look at the materials; as we said, leather is heavy, but so is rubber. Wooden heels are bound to pack extra weight, and enough details can add on to the overall weight as well. But, don’t look at heavy shoes and instantly disregard them - you can get used to the weight pretty fast, and you won’t even notice it after a few wears. Also, any shoe that is too light can be just as troublesome as shoes that are too heavy. If a shoe is too light, it means that it doesn’t have the proper construction to support you and remain durable, which is never a good. So, try to find a middle ground here, or try wearing a pair that is a bit on the heavier side, there’s not much that could go wrong!