A humble brown boot that has sat atop a car yard on Brisbane's northside for decades has kicked up a fuss on social media after passers-by noticed a crane was onsite to pinch it from its perch.

Key points: The brown boot has roots back to a shoe factory that operated during World War II

The brown boot has roots back to a shoe factory that operated during World War II The owner of the boot says it has been removed from his car yard to undergo repairs

The owner of the boot says it has been removed from his car yard to undergo repairs Brisbane residents have many fond memories of the landmark — tracing it from West End to Paddington and to Chermside

Hundreds of Brisbanites took to social media querying where it was going, what would happen to it, and whether it would still look the same.

The Brisbane boot, or big boot, as it's colloquially known around the city has become an icon to those on their daily commute along busy Gympie Road.

The boot's current owner, Charlie Senese, told ABC Radio Brisbane the iconic piece of the city's history was in safe hands and simply off for a "quick shine".

"The boot was in desperate need of some TLC as everyone has been commenting over the past three or four years," Mr Senese told presenter Rebecca Levingston.

The sole and laces of the boot looked like they had seen better days. ( Facebook: Chris Towie )

He said years of weathering and the recent record rainfall had affected the structural integrity of the boot.

"If it didn't get repaired there was a chance that it would blow off the roof and do some damage," Mr Senese said.

"A new facelift. Maybe I'll put a heel on it, make a high heel."

On Tuesday morning Mr Senese said he had the boot strapped to the back of a truck and it was making its way to its "new", albeit temporary, home to be repaired.

The boot's long journey

Mr Senese said he wanted to reassure the public the boot would make a comeback.

He said his main priority was to uphold the boot's history and restore it to its former glory.

"I've been involved with the boot for about 35 years. I've either sold or collected a lot of memorabilia over the years and a little bit about the boot's history," he said.

"It [started] in West End or somewhere in that South Brisbane area and it was on a boot factory used during World War II.

"They built army boots and all other types of shoes as well. It became a symbol of the factory.

"Then the factory moved to a location in Paddington … but unfortunately the factory didn't survive the modern era.

Workers inside a boot-making factory in South Brisbane in 1916. ( Wikicommons: State Library Queensland )

"It closed down so the new spaghetti factory [the Spaghetti Emporium] decided they'd use the boot since it was there.

"They got in lots and lots of trouble … in a nutshell it closed down but the boot stayed there while it was a nightclub and all sorts of different things."

Mr Senese said the boot was then purchased by a man who owned a camping store at Chermside.

"He thought: wow, what a great way [to advertise], so he bought the boot and used it for a bit of promotion. You know the people might live in the boot … like caravans and tents.

"So he moved it to Chermside and then it's been there for the past 35 to 40 years."

Mr Senese has even staved off a push for the boot to be donated to the city as a piece of history.

The big boot has stood proudly on Gympie Road for decades. ( Supplied: Cheryl Kershaw )

One ABC Radio Brisbane caller said she remembered going to the Spaghetti Emporium when it was the boot's home.

"It reminds me of a time, many, many, many years ago so that building used to be where that skate park is now in Paddington," Kelly from Bardon said.

"I can remember going there with my parents, I probably would have been three or four. It was before my sister was born.

"Kind of around that time bracket and dad loved it. He was devastated when the spaghetti factory closed."

She said the spaghetti restaurant and the boot were inseparable and her dad loved them both.

Another ABC Radio Brisbane fan commented on Facebook how the boot had become a sticking point in her family.

"My darling brother used to tell me the boot belonged to a giant who only ate little girls born in July. I was terrified of driving past it," Sarah-Jayne said.