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A Smart Design Improvement to the Long-Handled Shoe Horn

Spring in your step

By Rain Noe - January 31

in Human Factors

The able-bodied among us take putting our shoes on for granted. But for those with mobility issues, the act would be difficult to impossible without the use of a shoehorn.

The design of shoehorns hasn't changed since they were invented. And as you can see from the images, it's all about getting the right angle. What modifications could you make to the design, to make this act easier?

The unknown, but very clever, designer behind this variant has added a spring between the horn and handle.

This design draws rave reviews: As one reviewer put it, the spring is "stiff enough to not lose control of the horn positioning, soft enough to allow the horn to adapt to the proper angle between foot and shoe."

"It's a pleasure to see uncomplicated products where someone has thought about, and addressed all of the elements of easy, reliable and intuitive use and convenience. This is the kind of product that [should] be included in a book about classic designs."

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Craig Smith

9 months ago

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File under, nothing new under the sun. My father has had a shoehorn with a spring handle since the 1960's. Not as elegant as this new design, but equally as functional.

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  Craig Smith
  
  9 months ago
  
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  Aha, that would explain why there's no named designer behind the new version.
  
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