A Plague on all the Fashion Houses

Photo Credit: Minuit Sur Terre

A plague on all the fashion houses that produce lace-up boots with zippers, that is. I don’t get it. Why ruin a perfectly gorgeous boot equipped with fully functional laces, with an added side zipper? Take this pair above, for instance by Minuit sur Terre. They’re made of vegan leather, have a charming faux-fur top strap, a sole that looks up for pretty much any kind of terrain, and IMO, the gold eyelets and slim waxed laces complete the look. But the completely superfluous zipper? Hard pass.

I understand the zipper could be there to address convenience and accessibility factors. It’s great for people who can’t bend with full flexibility. But when I lived in snowy climes, I loved the act of lacing up my lace-up boots every day. I also zipped up my zippered boots when I had them. It’s not that I don’t appreciate a good zipper, although admittedly I’m more likely to go for a Chelsea boot.

A client at IKEA once shared with me that she would never ever have certain IKEA pieces in her home because she couldn’t tolerate exposed bolts, nuts, and screws. Not even on the undersides of her furniture. Nothing that would interrupt the smooth lines and curves. I’ll admit that over the years, I’ve lapsed on that front — I love the industrial in industrial design a little too much to give up on exposed design elements entirely.

But the zippered lace-up boot? I will never allow it to creep into my own collection.