Patent ID: 7392602

Claim:
A boot comprising a boot body; a plurality of lace guides coupled to the boot body, at least one of the lace guides comprises a lace hook; at least one lace guided by the lace guides, the at least one lace adapted to be dislodged from the hook; and at least one lace lock engageable with the at least one lace so that the boot may be tightened to a wearer, the at least one lace adapted to have a free-end portion extending from the at least one lace lock after the at least one lace has been tightened, wherein an amount of slack lace provided by the free-end portion of the at least one lace upon disengaging the at least one lace from the at least one lock is insufficient to permit easy removal of the boot from the wearer and wherein an amount of slack lace created upon removing the at least one lace from the lace hook aids in permitting easy removal of the boot from the wearer.