The Fumbling Fasteners of Yesteryear

The journey to the ubiquitous zipper began in 1851, when sewing machine pioneer Elias Howe patented an "Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure," though he never commercialized it, being preoccupied with his more famous invention. Forty-two years later, in 1893, Whitcomb L. Judson introduced his "Clasp Locker" at the Chicago World's Fair, an elaborate hook-and-eye system designed to fasten shoes. Despite Judson's ambition to replace shoelaces, his initial design was unreliable and met with little commercial success, often springing open unexpectedly.

The 'Separable Fastener' Zips into History

The true breakthrough arrived with Swedish-American engineer Gideon Sundback, who was hired by Judson's company in 1906. Between 1909 and 1917, Sundback refined the design, replacing hooks and eyes with interlocking metal teeth and a slider mechanism, securing a patent in 1917 for his "Separable Fastener." This vastly improved system increased the fastening elements per inch, making it reliable and practical. The name "zipper" itself was coined in 1923 by the B.F. Goodrich Company, which used Sundback's fasteners on their new rubber boots and galoshes, evoking the "zip" sound it made when operated. Initially, zippers were primarily found on footwear, tobacco pouches, and money belts, before gradually being adopted into clothing in the 1930s.