12 Feb 2025
A St Albans mother and son have designed a new product to stop the lingering smell of football boots, and it’s already taken social media by storm.
BootProof, an airtight, smell-proof boot bag sold out within 24 hours of launching on TikTok, with 150 bags snapped up immediately.
It was the brainchild of St Albans athlete Harrison Smith, a former Verulam schoolboy who has played football professionally for Stevenage.
Harrison developed the idea of BootProof while recovering from an ACL injury which temporarily distanced him from his passion for sport.
During his year-long rehabilitation, Harrison took inspiration from the struggle his sporty family faces in managing stinky football and rugby boots.
His mum Lisa, who was fed up with years of throwing smelly boots outside, jumped on the idea and together they turned the idea into a business.
Lisa said: “As a family with two sporty boys, we constantly battled with the awful smell of boots in the car and the house. When Harrison was injured, we all came together to solve this problem. We researched bag materials that could contain odours, connected with designers and manufacturers, and created BootProof.”
Local parents are also thrilled with the results. Jane Clarke, mum to two avid footballers in St Albans said: “Thank you for helping contain the stench from my son’s football boots.
“The bag is perfect for storing boots, it’s 100 per cent waterproof and makes keeping wet, smelly boots so much easier.”
After the viral success of BootProof, the local family business is expanding its product range. New versions including TrainerProof and GolfProof are in development to help even more athletes banish unwanted odours.
“Our goal is simple,” Harrison added, “We want people to enjoy sports without worrying about the smell. The response has been incredible, and we’re excited to keep growing.”
For more information visit www.bootproof.co.uk
