The Debate Is Settled: This Is the Best McDonald’s Chicken Nugget Shape

Ever since McDonald’s introduced its chicken nuggets, they’ve been an icon within the fast food world. Yes, they’re good—I mean, there are a lot of better competitors now, but they’re a classic for a reason. But more importantly? They’re so easily identifiable that you can spot one of the nuggets’ four shapes and immediately know where they were purchased.

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If you’re a fixture at your local McDonald’s like I am, then you know all four of those shapes are absolutely not the same. Each one has a different texture and feel (and, in the not-too-distant past, a distinct taste, too). And, according to the internet, there’s one specific shape that’s better than all of the rest.

The Boot Is the Best Nugget, Hands Down

Over on Reddit, users debated the merits of McDonald’s four chicken nugget shapes: the ball, boot, bone, or bell. And even though I expected there to be a pretty contentious debate, the answers were almost unanimous.

McDonald’s boot-shaped nugget won, with an overwhelming majority of comments crowning this shape as the best of the bunch. Reddit users noted that “It’s always the boot. I wish they could give me all boots, 20-piece McNuggets all boots”—which, frankly, is how I personally feel. Throw the other shapes out, because the boot is king.

Reddit users overwhelmingly preferred the boot over the bell, bone, and ball options. Many pointed to nostalgia: Back in the 1980s and 1990s, the boot was one of the shapes made with dark chicken meat, not drier white meat. And that definitely swayed plenty of Millennials and Gen Xers who remember how much better this particular nugget used to taste (myself included!).

But, ever since McDonald’s changed its nuggets to feature no dark meat at all, there’s no real difference in taste. Rather, the boot-shaped nugget has other perks that make it the best in each box.

Why The McDonald’s Boot-Shaped Nugget Wins

If you’re wondering why the boot-shaped nugget is so resoundingly popular and almost universally loved, the Reddit thread covered a number of benefits that can only be connected to this particular nugget. But first and foremost, it’s the best for dipping.

That’s exactly why I love the boot-shaped nuggets: They’re easy to hold and dip into your sauce of choice. The boot provides a natural “handle” you can hang onto as you drop the nugget’s toe into McDonald’s rectangular-shaped sauce containers. And they’re just the right shape for getting into the container’s nooks and crannies for every last drop of sauce, too.

Reddit users agree with me: “The little nub at the end lets you maximize sauce coverage without getting your fingers messy!” per one commenter.

In addition to being easy to drop or dip into sauce, the boot nugget is the most fun. The ball, bell, and bone don’t really have a distinct look (although I personally can’t stand the roundness of the ball myself). The boot? It’s instantly recognizable as a McDonald’s exclusive. 

And while they might all taste the same today, let’s be honest: you’re reaching for the boot first when you open a box of nuggets. Should you be lucky enough to wind up with a majority of boots in your order, it’s almost as good as winning the lottery or getting your hands on one of McDonald’s weirdest items ever created.