Boot jack

A boot jack is an aid for removing boots. It holds the heel of one boot while the other foot stabilises the tool. As the wearer withdraws the foot, the boot remains behind. Its function is boot removal rather than the manufacture of footwear.

Historic examples

London Museum holds a folding wooden boot jack with metal components, dated 1821 to 1830, under object number 39.64/3. This documents a particular construction and period, not the age of all similar tools. An old design can also survive in later production.

Confusions and condition

Distinguish a boot jack from a shoemaker's last, which provides a form for making and fitting shoes. The Norwegian dictionary Det Norske Akademis ordbok also records an older meaning of støvelknekt: an adjustable form used to keep a boot in shape. The object's construction and function must therefore determine which meaning applies when cataloguing it. Record materials, dimensions, wear around the heel opening and any hinges or repairs. Patina alone proves neither a precise date nor Norwegian manufacture.

Sources: Det Norske Akademis ordbok: støvelknekt; London Museum: boot jack 39.64/3; Vest-Agder-museet: skomakerlest.