The Tiny Hook in the Shoe Box Was a Button Hook

Before zippers, Velcro, and stretchy fabrics became common, buttons fastened everything from stiff leather boots to tight gloves. However, pulling those buttons through small holes could be slow and painful.

A button hook made the job easier.

How a Button Hook Works

This simple tool has a narrow shaft, a small metal hook, and a handle. First, you slide the hook through the buttonhole. Then, you catch the button and pull it through.

As a result, a task that tested sore fingers becomes a quick, smooth motion.

A Clever Giveaway From Shoe Shops

Shoe shops often gave away button hooks to promote their businesses. For example, the one in our photo is stamped:

“ZIEFLE & NISSLE. FINE SHOES. ANN ARBOR.”

Customers could take these useful tools home and keep them for years. Meanwhile, the shop’s name stayed close at hand in a sewing basket or shoe box.

From Plain Tools to Fancy Designs

Some handles were plain steel, while others featured bone, silver, celluloid, or enamel. Despite these differences, the working end remained simple: a hook sized for shoe or glove buttons.

Fun fact: Collectors often care more about the handle than the hook. After all, Victorian and Edwardian makers turned an everyday tool into a small piece of decorative art.

Why Button Hooks Became Less Common

As footwear styles changed during the 20th century, laces, zippers, and elastic panels replaced many button fastenings. Consequently, fewer people needed button hooks.

Today, many survive as “mystery metal sticks” in inherited drawers.

Some were made for gloves, while others were designed for boots. The hook’s size and the shaft’s length can therefore help collectors work out their purpose.

Either way, this tiny tool reminds us how much effort getting dressed once required.

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