One verified ladder
First move
Change only the last letter of the starting word; the next rung is a plural item of footwear.
Middle route
The route passes from small watercraft to wild pigs, then to a verb for rising high.
Reveal answers
- booth
- boots
- boats
- boars
- soars
- stars
- stark
- stank
- stand
Why the answer fits
The published path takes eight single-letter changes. Each step below preserves word length and changes exactly one position. This establishes a valid route; it does not independently prove that no shorter route exists.
BOOTH → BOOTS: position 5 changes from H to S.
BOOTS → BOATS: position 3 changes from O to A.
BOATS → BOARS: position 4 changes from T to R.
BOARS → SOARS: position 1 changes from B to S.
SOARS → STARS: position 2 changes from O to T.
STARS → STARK: position 5 changes from S to K.
STARK → STANK: position 4 changes from R to N.
STANK → STAND: position 5 changes from K to D.