Evaluation of a slip-resistance test for shoes

Abstract A laboratory test has been developed to measure Static and dynamic friction between shoe sole and floor surface. Good overall agreement was found between this test and a ramp test. The latter involves wearers ascending and descending a slope, the angle of which is increased until slipping occurs. Results indicate that the laboratory lest is relevant to wear conditions. In some cases static friction correlated better with the ramp test; in others the dynamic friction was best. This suggests both static and dynamic friction arc important in describing slip resistance. Depending on the surface used, the ranking of slip resistance for shoe solings can be reversed, making it important to specify the test surface. Keywords: FrictionCoefficient or frictionFootwearFloorsSlip resistanceSlip test