The very first zip was patented in Chicago, USA in 1893 by Whitcomb L Judson. It was designed to replace buttons on boots and was made of metal and described as a 'slide fastener'. It was not a resounding success and it was only some twenty years later that a Swedish American Engineer, Gideon Sundback designed a similar but more dependable 'fastener'.
However, due to the fact that it was made from metal and therefore prone to rusting, it had a short shelf life, or people had to remove it before washing their garments and then sew it in again, which was not exactly convenient!
Rustproofing came into being in the 1920's and helped alleviate this problem. Around the same time the B.F. Goodrich Company began to make rubber boots with slide fasteners. These began to be referred to as Zipper boots and the mame stuck. Zippers in America, zips in the UK.
However, due to the fact that it was made from metal and therefore prone to rusting, it had a short shelf life, or people had to remove it before washing their garments and then sew it in again, which was not exactly convenient!
Rustproofing came into being in the 1920's and helped alleviate this problem. Around the same time the B.F. Goodrich Company began to make rubber boots with slide fasteners. These began to be referred to as Zipper boots and the mame stuck. Zippers in America, zips in the UK.