Hey Saxman,
The square tubing of the base is designed for foot placement and becomes obvious as soon as you open the base up by pivoting the top of the angled section. It all folds down for easy carrying but you open it prior to climbing. Here is a photo of mine with the base opened. I tried to mark the spots where your feet position but the yellow print may be too small to read. Either way, you can easily see the black angled round pipe that attaches to the rear of the platform. That angle creates a triangle where your boots easily fit. I love my Alpha Hand Climber and have never had any problems with losing the base. Good Luck!