How do you fix a separated zipper?

I busted out the back of my english riding boots- they zip up to the top and now they are zipped all the way up but the zipper is gaping open. I really don't want to buy and break in a new pair- aside from replacing the whole zipper, can anybody tell me how to realign the zipper?

How do you fix a separated zipper?
You're going to need a bit of patience and perseverence, but the following works a treat with nylon coil zippers. I know from experience.





Grab the two halves of the zipper and pull them apart so that there is no part of it zipped.





Now you need to get the zipper started, this is the frustrating part.





Sit with the top end of the zipper where the slider is pointing toward you and the gaping open zipper away from you. Grab the two halfs of the zipper where they exit the slider and manually join the teeth up for a an inch or so. I find that they come together easier if you can form a Y shape with the zipper teeth although this may not be as easier said than done with leather boots.





You should now have an inch or so zipped up under the slider. The zipper should slide freely up and down the manually zipped section. Pull the zipper back to the top and pull it down quickly, you will find that not only the inch you zipped up manually unzips but about the same again.





You should now have a zipper with the slide about 2 inches down and unzipped teeth above and below.





Pull the zipper back to the top, you now have 2 inches or so zipped up and open teeth below.





Grab the zipper pull and unzip quickly again, hey presto you now have 4 inches unzipped. Just keep zipping and unzipping until you get to the bottom.





Somtimes when you get to the bottom you find the first few teeth won't line up and start properly. Zip up slightly then slowly unzip down to the bottom, then give then pull the two halfs of the open zipper apart to force the pull against the end stop, this should line them up again.
Reply:um...tape them
Reply:Try ti wiggle the zipper down by pulling the zipper as close together as possible, you may need someone to help you as it's easier with an extra set of hands.


You may have to try and pinch the "teeth" of the zipper together.



C++