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The Design Flaw of Boot Jacks

…at least in this city boy's opinion

By Rain Noe - Jan 28

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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.

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"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:

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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:

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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?


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Rain Noe

Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.

14 Comments

  • James Cobb
    26 days ago
    Z
    2Z
    Reply

    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 inside
    Step 3: Use boot jack

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    • George Mokray
      James Cobb
      24 days ago
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      Z
      Reply

      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
  • Glen Downie
    16 days ago
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    1Z
    Reply

    I think this is resolved: 

    Doormat - Wet Removal
    Boot Brush - Dry and Mud Removal
    Boot Jack - Boot Removal

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  • Martin Siegrist
    24 days ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    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 

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    • amunta nul
      Martin Siegrist
      23 days ago
      Z
      Z
      Reply

      I have yet to see a glimpse of evidence that Rain is actually a designer

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  • Ross Oliver
    24 days ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    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.

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  • Taylor Smith
    25 days ago
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    Z
    Reply

    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
  • Ken K
    26 days ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    Put a second one next to the first? If homemade, easy, cheap, compact. 

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  • Mike Cheung
    26 days ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    Take boot 1 off halfway, then remove boot 2. Kick boot 1 off.

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  • Joshua Cooper
    26 days ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    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.

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    • Tim Hines
      Joshua Cooper
      26 days ago
      Z
      Z
      Reply

      Neat and compact, although you do have to bend down to turn it.

      !Report as spam
  • Tim Hines
    26 days ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    Just make the stand on part wider, but try to remember to take the same boot off first ... :)

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  • Fred Reade
    26 days ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    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! 

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  • Jason Pokines
    26 days ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    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.

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