About boot stands
Boot stands are used to dry and air rubber boots. Rubber boots need special care.
Neoprene or other synthetic boots don't need the same amount of care.
Rubber boots tend to get smelly during the damp winter months.
It is important to allow your boots to dry naturally. This will extend the working life of your boots. Airing your boots prevents mould and bacteria from growing on the inside of the boot and makes your boots last longer. The bacteria and mould in a boot can cause fungal infections of the skin of the foot including athletes foot and ringworm.
Airing and cleaning your boots is an essential part of boot care and maintenance.
If you have smelly boots then you can try to replace the insole. Contact the manufacturer of your boots to see if insoles are available for purchase.
Another tip is to put a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda or baking soda inside the boot.
Boot Jacks
Consider putting a bootjack and a doormat near the boot stand to allow the boot wearers to scrape the bases of their boots and scrub the large pieces of grass and mud off the boot.
A boot jack is a useful device that hooks onto the back of the boot and allows the user to remove the boot without using their hands.
Boot Stands
Boot stands are placed outside your house and allow your boots to dry naturally.
Boot stands have vertical pegs to allow water and mud to drip out with the aid of gravity.
Make sure there is enough ventilation in the boot drying area and that the humidity of the surrounding air is low.
Mould prefers damp and dark places. Some boot stands have special boot opening devices that spread the boot to allow for better airing. Other boot stands have curled ends which do the same thing. Remember that rubber boots should not be left in direct sunlight as this degrades the rubber.
Some boot stands have in-built boot brushes and scrapers to allow you to clean your boots before hanging them up.
There are different types of rubber boot stands, including:
- Mounting types: either wall mounted or free-standing on the floor (see below)
- All wood - wooden base with wooden pegs made of either oak, beech, or pine
- Metal - usually cast iron or steel - these stands tend to be more expensive due to the manufacturing process
Designs
Welly stands can either be free-standing or mounted on the wall.
 Wall Mounted |
 Free-standing on the floor |
Wooden Boot Stands
 Pine |
 Beech |
 Oak |
Metal Boot Stands
 Cast Iron |
Tree |
 Ornate |
