Bootmobile a kick art ad

The absurd machine is an extremely effective mobile billboard for US outdoor clothing company L.L Bean, which started off selling the waterproof Bean Boot 100 years ago.

It stands 396cm tall and would be the perfect fit for a 4.6m tall person, although it wouldn't be all that comfortable given it is primarily made from fibreglass and is based on a pick-up truck.

It chose a Ford F250 Super Duty diesel pick up for the job because it was the right size and had enough torque. Echo Arts engineer Zachary Weikart explains the process of building the Bootmobile.

"The idea here is not to put a boot on a truck, it is putting a truck inside a boot," he says, like this is just another project. "It is obviously not as easy as going down to your local car dealership and buying a truck, putting some foam on it and making it look like a boot," he points out.

The team started off with concept sketches, then scanned a boot and pick up truck and joined them using 3D modeling software. Then came a foam shape that sat on the pick up, which was then covered with the fibreglass shell. 

The final step was to cut away some of the foam centre and build a steel support frame before artists added crucial details such as the stitching and laces. The Bootmobile apparently drives like a regular pick up and handling is not a strong point. The occupants gain access to boot through a custom door in the heel.