shoetree

1 8.3

A wooden or metal piece put inside a shoe when not worn to keep its shape

noun
/ˈʃuˌtri/

: armazón para zapatos

The cobbler recommended using a shoetree to maintain the shoes' original form.

Examples

He placed a shoetree inside each leather boot to prevent them from creasing.
After polishing his dress shoes, he inserted shoetrees before storing them in the closet.
He uses a shoetree to keep his leather shoes in shape.
My shoetrees are made of cedar wood.
I always use a shoetree to keep my leather shoes in good condition.
Placing a shoetree in your shoes helps them maintain their shape.
When I travel, I pack a shoetree to ensure my shoes don’t get damaged.

Synonyms

shoemaker's last

vsshoetree

Specialized

9.9

A solid foot-shaped form that people who make shoes use to shape or repair shoes

is placed inside shoes to preserve their shape when not worn

Surface Forms

shoetree singular

shoetrees plural

Morphology

shoetree = shoe + tree (semi-transparent) = shoe + tree

While the components 'shoe' and 'tree' are clear, the specific meaning of a device to maintain shoe shape is metaphorical and not immediately obvious.

Etymology

Shoetree is made of the words shoe and tree: it originally named a piece of wood shaped like a small 'tree' put inside a shoe to hold its 'shape'. So a shoetree today is the object you put into shoes to prevent creases and keep them looking good.