<i>Slip Sliding Away</i> — Slip Resistance of Athletic Socks on Indoor Flooring

A laboratory study was conducted to assess the slip resistance of athletic socks on various household flooring materials under both wet and dry conditions. While prior studies regarding slip resistance have focused on shod walkers, there is a lack of published data on the coefficient of friction between stocking-clad feet and indoor flooring. To investigate this, four types of athletic socks were tested on samples of eight flooring materials for both wet and dry conditions. These results were compared to tests of a Neolite slider pad on these floors. The results indicated that for socks on textured vinyl flooring, there was no significant difference in slip resistance between the wet and dry conditions, though there was a trend towards greater slip resistance under wet conditions. Generally, it appears that the likelihood of slipping on other types of wet indoor walking surfaces is lower when walking in socks rather than shoes.