Slip resistance testing of shoes — new developments

This paper describes research being undertaken to develop a more realistic test for measuring the slip resistance of complete shoe soles and thus determine the effectiveness of sole patterns as well as sole materials and floor surfaces. The frictional forces between shoe and ground have been measured in normal walking using a force platform and photographic techniques used to record human slipping experiments. This has led to the development of an experimental test which reproduces slip conditions in walking as closely as possible. Using this test it has been found that slip severity depends on how friction changes as the shoe moves. Furthermore, it seems that a single measurement of friction may not be sufficient to completely predict the slip resistance of a shoe sole. Further work is necessary to understand the complex nature of slip resistance between shoe sole and ground.