For decades, people over 60 struggled with a painful choice: wear shoes that looked good but hurt their feet, or settle for orthopedic shoes that screamed, “I’m old.” The footwear industry essentially ...

Annoyed a decade ago when his zipper broke on the way to the airport, architect and inventor Leonard Duffy decided to design a replacement. The result: “slidingly engaging fasteners” which are quiet, ...

Buttons are forever a classic necessity. Zippers are having a memorable moment under the spotlight. Hooks, toggles, tied-off closures—all of these fasteners have had on-again-off-again relationships ...

Inspiration can strike without warning. Consider Swiss engineer George de Mestral, who got some burs on his wool socks while walking his dog one fateful day in 1948. As De Mestral pulled off the burs, ...