Abstract: An article of protective wear such as a boot (10) includes a flexible shell (14) with an opening (16) extending between two parts (20, 22) of the shell that (14) can move relative to each other to open or close the opening (16). The boot (10) has one or more releasable closure elements (24) for holding the first and second parts (20, 22) closed and a mechanical tightening mechanism (28, 30) that allows tightening of the first and second parts (20, 22), but resists separation between them. The boot (10) also includes a one-way hook-and-loop fastening system (38, 40) attached to the first and second parts (20, 22) that is configured to resist relative sliding between the first and second parts (20, 22) to a looser condition, but to allow relative sliding between the first and second parts (20, 22) to a tighter condition.