Abstract: A flexible wear sleeve for protectively surrounding one or more flexible cables or conduits leading to a spot-welding machine or an arc-welding machine or robot, the wear sleeve being formed by joining opposed edges of a flexible web to one another by a zipper connection. The flexible web is formed from a tough, durable material, such as a KEVLAR.RTM. material, and its opposed edges are also provided with elements of a VELCRO.RTM. connection to overlie the zipper and protect the zipper from contact with welding flash and/or foreign material. The flexible web is provided with at least one longitudinally extending pocket, and a flexible rod is inserted into the pocket to provide the flexible wear sleeve and the flexible cables or conduits protected thereby with an elastic memory to cause them to return to an undistorted configuration after removal of a distorting load therefrom and to provide a controlled bend radius thereto.