The Key Features That You Should Look For In Shoe Covers
Shoe Covers are very in-demand especially since the pandemic started. They are part of the basic Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) not just of those fighting in the medical frontlines but also for other industries. You can check out our piece on 5 Common Industries That Use Shoe Covers as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to know what these other industries are.
If your work belongs to any of the industries listed in the said article, then you probably would have been required or much more, worn a pair of shoe covers while working. With that said, it is in the best interest of the service for you to wear quality shoe covers.
What to look for in shoe covers?
This would be the best question to answer when you want to be certain that the pair of shoe covers you have on will last long enough to keep you safe and protected while working or doing any other activities with them on.
Here are the key features that you must look for in shoe covers to ensure that they are of top quality.
Comes in a sterile package
This will hold true for shoe covers that were meant to be used in highly regulated areas or workplaces where any risk of contamination can hamper operations. For disposable shoe covers, they must be sterile and properly packed to ensure that any risk of cross contamination can be eliminated. If they are not packaged well then the shoe covers’ sterility is compromised.
Some industries when confronted with this situation goes the drastic way of disposing the whole package and treat everything in it as not sterile for use in the regulated area.
Made of the right material for the industry that you work in
The shoe cover that you must use should be appropriate or right for the kind of industry that you work in. Depending on the industry, there are different materials used for shoe covers. The shoe cover you usually see being worn by doctors in hospitals will not be the right material for one who works in the construction industry. The same goes for those shoe covers made of fabric or corduroy that may not be efficient when used in wet or slippery workplaces. So, choose the right material.
Durable and will not easily tear
This does not only go for the disposable shoe covers. This will also apply to reusable shoe covers made of fabric or other materials. You must keep in mind that you are wearing shoe covers to protect your shoes, avoid cross contamination, protect floors and other purposes. To serve this purpose well, you must wear one that will not be prone to easy tearing.
The shoe covers should really be able to withstand the elements that they were made to protect the wearer’s shoes and feet from. For those made of fabric, the seams should be strongly attached and not easily ripped.
With a snug fit
For a shoe cover to snuggly fit your shoes, the elastic bands around the ankles should not loosely made. If it is, then there is a greater chance that the shoe cover can slip out of your shoe or foot. This should be prevented from happening since it will also open the risk of the wearer to slip or have the shoe cover catch on to something.
Non-slip soles
There are shoe covers that come with non-slip soles. These types are the most preferred ones as they can help the wearer avoid slippage. Non-slip soles, it would get good traction in slippery or wet workplaces. If you work in a meat manufacturing plant for example where you have to deal with a mix of water, blood and other animal fluids, a shoe covers with non-slip soles may be the best choice.
Easy to Wear
You would have been required to wear shoe covers in just a certain area in your workplace. So, you would have to put them on then take them off more frequently or a number of times in a day. If this is so, to save on time, the shoe covers must be easy to wear and take off. After all, they are meant to be covers and not the core foot wear.
Do Not Be Deceived
Sometimes we carry the thought that since they are just shoe covers, the best choice would be the less expensive ones. Or, for those disposable ones, you would maybe think that they will head to the trash anyway so why the need to go for the top quality.
Safety and protection should be your main consideration when choosing the shoe cover that’s best for you. If that is not of your concern, why wear a shoe cover in the first place?
Look for the best. You deserve it.