long metal hook inserted into holes in a last as a tool to pull it from the shoe during delasting
Last pullers can be relatively short, for low shoes, or more than a foot long, for tall boots. Shorter shoe pullers with hollow handles can sometimes be extended for taller boots with a strap.
Last pullers must be robust, as removing a last from a new shoe often takes substantial force.
Some makers repurpose meat boning hooks as last pullers by blunting their sharp points.