Over The Shoe Boots

Author: Robert Palmer

Over The Shoe Boots also called overshoes and galoshes are usually made from Natural Rubber, PVC, and Neoprene. Over the shoe boots are buckle-up or pull-on boots and are usually 4 inches to 14 inches high.

Natural Rubber is stretchy and has excellent low temperature properties allowing the rubber to stay supple in cold weather. These boots offer the comfort and protection of regular shoes inside the boots while giving protection against a wet and/or cold environment. Overshoes are a great choice when the weather is variable.The soles have good traction and are more puncture, and cut resistance compared to PVC. Natural Rubber is resistant to acids, bases, alcohols, and diluted water soluble chemicals but, is not good for sustained exposure to petroleum products like gasoline, diesel, solvents, and oils.

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) is similar to natural rubber and is generally made to be tougher and can handle more chemical environments. PVC is a synthetic thermoplastic polymer that is resistant to animal fats, bases, acids, alkalies, oils and petroleum. PVC is not recommended in the presents of ketones, aldehydes and many solvents. These Overshoes are popular as work boots because they are economical, and tough.General use of these boots is in agriculture, construction, and general industry. In the western US irrigation is a common use for over the shoe boots and are called "irrigation boots" as are over the sock boot. They are also used to sports where water and mud is present.

Neoprene Boots can be used in a wide range of chemical environments; however, they are less resistant to cuts and punctures compared to Natural Rubber and PVC. Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that is resistant to a wide range of animal fats, blood, oils, certain acids, alcohols, alkalies, and certain solvents. Applications for these boots are in food processing, dairy, chemical, and petrochemical production (oil field). Neoprene boots are more expensive and are not generally used in agriculture.

--Wilbert l Bregar.
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