Abstract: Boot shafts can be designed for comfort by providing expansion in the shaft of a boot. Portions of a shaft can be replaced, augmented, or associated with a more deformable and elastically resilient material or materials. When effectively associated or integrated, the elastic material can allow for temporary expansion of the shaft to ease passage of the heel and foot through the shaft and into the shoe box. A long thin resilient feature can provide expansion and ease of passage of a foot down the boot shaft while also potentially minimizing conspicuous departure from conventional stylings. Such features can also be physically obscured with straps (which may rotate, for example). Such features may be curved or angled to visually in fit with and even be camouflaged by surrounding decorative ornamentation on the shaft of such a boot.