A small loop or tab that helps the wearer pull on a shoe or boot.
A pull tab gives the wearer a place to grip when drawing a shoe or boot onto the foot. R.M.Williams calls its woven boot loops tugs and stitches them between the leather upper and lining. Its care guidance tells wearers to let the two tugs take the strain when pulling on elastic-sided boots. This makes the tab a working attachment whose stitching must withstand pulling. It serves a different purpose from the elastic side panel, which opens as the foot enters and then returns towards its resting shape.
In job listings
This is a detail for specifications and for the fitting room. A footwear developer may have to specify the tab’s material and how it is secured, and an advisor may point it out when a client tries on a boot. Search local jobs for “footwear”.
