A boot jack is the difference between pulling a wet welly off at the back door and standing on the heel of it in the yard until the lining goes. Wooden jacks from Le Chameau, Aigle, Härkila, Bisley and Arxus, plus a replacement grip insert for a jack that has worn.
Choosing one
- Look for a rubber grip or insert. A bare wooden heel notch will mark a leather-lined boot and will scuff a neoprene wellington. The Arxus jack and the Bisley replacement sleeve both address this.
- Match the notch to the boot. A deep notch cut for a wellington heel is the wrong shape for a low-heeled hiking boot, and a shallow one will not hold a tall welly.
- Weight is the point. A jack only works if it stays put when you pull. Light plastic jacks skid; a solid wooden one does not.
- It saves the boot, not just your back. Most wellington failures start as a crease at the heel counter, which is exactly what heel-standing creates.
Related
- Wellington boots
- Footwear care — conditioners, proofers and neoprene treatments
- Boot laces
