Core77
e
Shortly after moving to the country, I saw one of these in a neighbor's basement, and thought it was a workholding device for woodworking.
Enter a caption (optional)"No, it's a boot jack," he said, doing an excellent job of hiding his surprise that I didn't know what it was. (City boy, here.)
Out in these rural parts, boots are more common than Nikes, so it makes sense that everyone has a boot jack. What doesn't make sense to me is their design. You use them like this:
Getting the first boot off, no problem. The part that doesn't make sense to me is that you then step on the jack with your freshly-exposed sock. More often than not, when I take my boots off, they're muddy. I assume you'd get fresh mud on the jack when taking the first boot off, then transfer that mud to the bottom of your sock when bracing the jack to remove the other boot. I looked around and every boot jack I saw, despite minor differences in detail, appears to have this same flaw:
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)I actually think this would make an interesting assignment for an ID student: How would you design a similarly minimal object that gets the boots off, but keeps your socks clean in the process?
Rain Noe
Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.
14 Comments
-
The "solution" to this design "problem" is a doormat. Do you routinely come inside with mud on your shoes?
Step 1: Wipe off your feet outside (or wash them off with a water hose if super muddy).Step 2: Go insideStep 3: Use boot jack!Report as spam-
Wiping your boots off before you use the boot jack is the obvious solution. Those who don't immediately think of it were probably raised in a barn. /snark
!Report as spam
-
-
I think this is resolved:
Doormat - Wet RemovalBoot Brush - Dry and Mud RemovalBoot Jack - Boot Removal!Report as spam -
Not thinking of a doormat is the problem. Cause when there’s mud on your shoes and you don’t wipe it off before taking off the boots, you’d probably step into mud no matter what.
Perfect example of a designer making incorrect assumptions!Report as spam-
I have yet to see a glimpse of evidence that Rain is actually a designer
!Report as spam
-
-
The heel-to-toe stance makes balance much more difficult. I sometimes remove my shoes by standing the toe of one on the heel of the other, and I almost always need to lean on something for balance. I would mount the jack to a base 3x as wide, and stand feet side-by-side to use. Solves the sock soiling problem too.
!Report as spam -
In my limited observations the people who use boot jacks aren't using them with their muddy boots. Like the example in the video, crocodile belly boots aren't typically the kind of boots you get dirty like that.
!Report as spam -
Put a second one next to the first? If homemade, easy, cheap, compact.
!Report as spam -
Take boot 1 off halfway, then remove boot 2. Kick boot 1 off.
!Report as spam -
I would suggest putting the fulcrum/leg on the top as well as the bottom. That way you could remove one boot, flip the jack over and remove the other boot.
!Report as spam-
Neat and compact, although you do have to bend down to turn it.
!Report as spam
-
-
Just make the stand on part wider, but try to remember to take the same boot off first ... :)
!Report as spam -
I don’t know about minimal, but I’ve seen them with an arch over them and a swinging paddle that acts as a brace for the toe of the boot while you use your hands on an upper t-bar as purchase. Ends up being quite a large piece of hall furniture though!
!Report as spam -
Where are you, again? I've lived in semi-rural Ohio most of my life and have never come across one of these. Also, the only people I've met with boots like that are "cowboys" who like to line dance and drive lifted trucks.
!Report as spam
Continued Reading
-
By Emily Engle - Jan 15
Nike Introduces Self-Lacing Sneakers in a New Context
As a former basketball player, I can attest to the discomfort that comes along with running up and down the court in sneakers that fit you when you purchased them in store but seemingly change size and shape every time you pivot. As a result of this natural foot expansion
-
By Emily Engle - Dec 20, 2018
Studio Hagel Collabs With Ecco, Creating 18 Different "Technical" Shoe Designs
The collection pokes fun at streetwear's obsession with unnecessary functionality
Mathieu Hagelaars, founder of Studio Hagel, is known for his sought after one-off footwear designs, ranging from custom Takashi Murakami sneakers to various outsole explorations. Now, SH fans can rejoice because the design studio has collaborated with Danish brand Ecco to bring 18 new footwear designs to life and available
-
By Rain Noe - Dec 18, 2018
Having My Feet Scanned by a Fancy Newfangled Shoe Size Measurement Device
This Aetrex scanner is nifty, but I don't think it's more accurate than a Brannock Device
I've started splitting firewood by axe, so I need some steel-toe boots in case I pull an oopsie. I went to a nearby Red Wing Shoes, a company that insists on stocking Brannock Devices for their stores, according to the Wall Street Journal. "David Murphy, president of Red Wing Shoe
-
By Rain Noe - Dec 18, 2018
Great, Classic, Long-Lived Design: The Unsung Brannock Device
Where would footwear design be, without an accurate way for customers to find the right shoe size?
You've all seen this thing, but unless you're a footwear designer, you might not know what it's called: That's the Brannock Device, a dead-accurate shoe size measuring object invented by a Syracuse University student in 1926. I love this thing because it's useful, it's made out of steel and the
K
{Welcome
Create a Core77 Account
Already have an account? Sign In
By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use
K
Reset Password
Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.
