Brogues. Stilettos. Ankle boots. Trainers. We wear a pair of shoes near enough every day and expect them to provide us with functionality and, when needed, style. It’s no surprise that the most used part of our wardrobes undergoes quality assurance to ensure they are ready for a walk, run or dance.
QIMA, an international quality assurance company says;
‘Footwear is a highly diverse category, with thousands of models that use a wide range of materials and require a number of different production processes. This makes footwear testing and quality assurance a highly demanding and specialised process.’
The variety of footwear on offer – from designer to high street, heel to sandal – requires different quality assurance approaches and processes; Very much like the three levels of Quality 4 Health + Wellbeing. Acknowledging and celebrating the diverse range of support within the Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector, Quality 4 Health + Wellbeing has been designed for VCSE organisations of all sizes to demonstrate the high-quality delivery of their services.
In footwear, quality checks can include:
- Heel attachment strength (heels)
- Size fitting test
- Waterproof test
- Odour test
- Sole bonding
- Colourfastness check
- Symmetry check
Like the 9 quality areas of Quality 4 Health + Wellbeing, the quality checks for footwear work around the shoe requirements and not the other way round; When completing Quality 4 Health + Wellbeing, no two organisations will have the exact same journey. The evidence gathering process helps to review and reflect on the areas of your service delivery that may require improvement or highlight the areas or impact of your services that you can be proud of.
As diverse as the footwear industry can be, so too is the VCSE Sector. With the different communities we support and the expansive services we deliver, our shoes may vary but we are all on the same VCSE shoe rack.
