8. The Shoe Button Hook
Getting dressed once took a little more effort, especially with shoes that needed buttoning. A button hook helped people fasten the tiny buttons on boots and dress shoes. It had a slim metal tip shaped like a hook and a small handle to grip. These were especially common in the late 1800s and early 1900s. People of all ages used them, especially for children’s and women’s footwear. Today, most people wear slip-ons or use laces. If you found a button hook now, you might think it was for sewing.