Ruth says that in former times in Israel, to confirm a transaction, one man drew off his sandal and gave it to the other. The nearer redeemer gave his sandal to Boaz as the public sign of confirmation. The custom is explained in Ruth 4:7–8.
At the town gate, Boaz adds a key condition to the land deal: if the nearer relative redeems Naomi’s field, he must also take Ruth as wife to secure the dead man’s family line. That added responsibility changes the nearer man’s calculation. He refuses, saying it would damage his own inheritance, and he transfers his redemption right to Boaz. This scene continues the public negotiation that began at the gate, where Boaz gathered elders and the nearer relative to settle the matter openly (Ruth 4:1–4). The story tightens its focus on how Naomi’s family line and property will be secured after the deaths that opened the book (Ruth 1:1–5).
Ruth 4:5–8 presents a public negotiation where Boaz makes clear that redeeming Naomi’s field is not a simple land transaction. The redeemer must also “acquire” Ruth, identified as the dead man’s widow, in order to preserve the dead man’s name and inheritance (verse 5).
A common mistake is to turn the wording into a slogan. The better reading keeps the phrase tied to the passage, the speaker, and the problem the book is addressing.
Start with Ruth 4:7-8, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
7Now this was [the custom] in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the [manner of] attestation in Israel.
8So the near kinsman said to Boaz, Buy it for yourself. He drew off his shoe.