How many times has this happened to you? You’re out working in the garden or yard and your shoes or boots get covered in mud. If you’re anything like me, it happens all the time. I attract mud like an outhouse attracts flies. It just can’t be helped, especially now that I have a mud hole where sheds used to be. While I’m fine with all that mud, shockingly, my wife isn’t. This fact leaves me with two options: take off my shoes or boots outside or don’t come into the house at all. Tis a fair trade off, but if I only need to run in for a second and head back out things get a bit tedious. And that’s where the Shoe Ins comes into play.
In case you hadn’t heard of Shoe Ins yet; they are, simply put, giant Croc-like slippers for your boots or shoes. I know what you’re thinking, ‘Why do I want to wear clown shoes around the yard or job site, isn’t it a bit like wearing a belt and suspenders?’ Well, yes, in a way I suppose it is. But the time saved keeping your shoes on going from back into your house, office, trailer,or truck might just be worth it. I can’t count how many times I’ve come home driving barefoot because I have mud and snot caked to the bottom and sides of my boots (I should clarify, Shoe Ins are specifically not designed for driving). Let alone the times I’ve gotten ‘the look’ because I’ve forgotten to remove said shoes off my feet before walking through the house. It’s the look that could stop a bear in its tracks and usually does me as well.
Shoe Ins may prevent or at least delay ‘the look’. Made with EVA, a polymer that many Croc knock-offs are made from (Crocs are actually made with a proprietary foam resin), Shoe Ins are waterproof. The also have ‘fingers’ inside the top arch of the sandal. As you kick the Shoe Ins on the fingers flex gripping the top of your shoe or boot to secure them. There are no laces or straps, just a swift kick and the boots are locked on tightly. Another swift scuff in the opposite direction and the ‘fingers’ flex the other way and come right off.
Shoe Ins come in general sizes such as: 9-11 or 11.5-12 and four different styles. There are the open toe and closed toe shoe which would be great for around the house and garden. The safety shoe, which is rated up to ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards. Technically no over-shoe can be certified ASTM but at least you can have the protection. If you did need ASTM coverage you’d have to wear safety boots or shoes underneath, which falls back to belts and suspenders again. finally, they also make the Ice-T, a studded sole Shoe In that can give you traction on an icy surface, and apparently some street cred’ too, thanks to the hip-hop name. They also save you from slipping outside and from messing up the floor inside.
While the video above shows the Shoe Ins being used to avoid getting your boots dirty, they can also be used in the opposite way, by slipping clean Shoe Ins on before you go inside. If I were to use them as shown in the video above, my Shoe Ins and boots would likely both be caked in mud.
Ultimately, Shoe Ins may seem like overkill, but they can definitely reduce the amount of dirt you track into your home (or your client’s home). And one could say that they are a shoe-in to avoid getting ‘the look’… See what I did there: shoe in – Shoe Ins! I crack myself up sometimes. More details on Shoe Ins on the Weinbrenner website. You can find Shoe Ins via a couple of stores including Cabela’s and Grainger starting at around $25 a pair.
