How to Tell if Shoes are Non-slip

How to Tell if Shoes are Non-slip:

Many unfortunate events in the world occur because of shoe slipping. The people who walk, work on slick surfaces, or run, they suffer in the danger of accidental death. Non-slip shoes are The best way to avoid these kinds of hazards. Now I'm going to tell you how your non-slip shoe works and how you find the right non-slip shoe.

What are Non-slip shoes?

Many shoe manufacturer companies claim their shoes as non-slip, but still, there is no standard for slip-resistant shoes. The OSHA (Occupational safety and health Administration) doesn't have a specific definition of slip-resistant.

When we talk about footwear, OSHA only requires protection against objects that can crush or pierce your feet. The non-slip shoe almost looks like other regular footwear, but the non-slip shoe offers you the best support and traction against slipping.

The non-slip shoe can reduce the risk of falling, but it is not a guarantee of safety. Still, you have to watch where you step, walk carefully, even when you are wearing non-slip shoes.

Risks of NOT having Slip-Resistant Boots

• Getting Tripped
• Slippery Surfaces
• Electrical Hazard

Getting Tripped

Many people visit the hospital because they are not careful enough. They may trip over anything like loose waste materials, branches, leaves, and even small stones! These things are potential tripping hazards, and it may cause serious injury. So if you don't want to go to the hospital, it's best to buy the right slip-resistant shoe for you.

Slippery Surfaces

The slippery surface is also a big problem. In rainy climates, the roofs are fields with water. If water is not dry in a limited period, the layer of moss starts growing up on the roof surface. Without proper preparation, an accident may occur if you are not wearing slip-resistant boots.

Electrical Hazard

There is a high chance of being struck by lighting; when working on construction sites, it is widespread. It may not seem much, but you have to be careful in those places. Without wearing the right shoes for protection in that place, you may be struck by lightning. If you invest in slip-resistant shoes, you may avoid the danger of electric current.

 

What Makes a Shoe Non-slip?

• Outsole Design
• Environment
• Material
• Tread Pattern
• Test Drive
• Non-slip Labeling

Outsole Design

Shoes designed with three different layers, insole, midsole, and outsole. The innersole is attached to the bottom of the shoe. It gives support to the bottom of the foot. The midsole material is very comfortable for feet; it provides cushioning. Mostly it's made with foam that's very soft and comfortable.

The outsole is an essential part of a shoe because it makes contact with the ground and provides stability. But every outsole design is not producing the non-slip on the surface.

The outsole has different patterns, like circles, triangles, hexagon, and squares. Every model gives the ability to grip on an oily and wet surface.

Every outsole pattern comes with some level of slip-resistance. Still, some of the designs like square, triangle, and especially hexagon have flat edges that produce a wall, stopping liquid from moving away from the sole.

Many shoe manufacturer companies design their non-slip soles. But they did not offer any guarantee about shoe soles.

Some designs give a better grip on slippery surfaces that mention below.

• Chevron sipe sole:

Chevron (also known as Ultragrip) sipe sole cleans itself and keeps maximum tread grip.

• Safety-loc Sole

Safety-loc sole offers the best grip on wet and smooth surfaces.

• Cleated or lug sole

These shoe soles used in industrial applications, it gives the maximum grip on the surface.

Environment

The selecting of the best non-slip shoe also depends on the place weather where you live or work. It also depends on which kind of surface you use soles because different soles perform different grips.

You have to try different soles on different types of floor surfaces and tiles. It will allow you to know about the best outsole for your environment.

Material

Non-slip shoe sole made with different types of content. Slip-resistant shoes are always soft and versatile. The shoe comes with the hard stuff, never gives the best grip. On the other hand, the soft shoe sole comes with better non-slip capabilities.

Whenever you buy a pair of non-slip shoes, you don't have to worry about the insole and the midsole. The job you have to do is concentrate on the outsole structure. Shoes made with different materials that come with stability, grip, and durability. There are five types of materials used to make non-slip footwear.

• Polyurethane

• Neoprene

• Nitrile

• PVC

• Rubber

A soft outsole gives a better grip than a hard outsole. The best material used for non-slip shoes is rubber, it provides the best grip on both cold and warm weather. The high-quality rubber also gives the best grip on oil and water.

Tread Pattern

The tread pattern is also an important feature when we talk about slip-resistant shoes. With the help of tread, they can increase the sole surface area; it prevents slipping against the uneven surface. Many companies that make non-slip shoes use tread patterns to gives you a better grip on walking, running, and pivot without fear of falling.

Some tread patterns disperse the water when you walk on wet floors. It's best to buy an open tread pattern because enclosed one can trap water beneath your feet and cause hydroplaning; this also goes for those shoes with flat or smooth soles such as sandals and heels.

The tread pattern of slip-resistant shoes must be interlocked and should channel water away from under our feet. It's best not to buy pattern shoes that have shapes with flat edges like triangles, squares, and hexagon. The edges work to lock water, making it not to escape the sole of the shoe.

Instead, look for tread pattern shoes which have circular shapes. Circles have no edges which easily allow water, oil, and another type of liquids to flow through gaps in shoe treads. Circles have a large surface area of the sole, allowing shoes to have more contact with the ground. If circles are present in a pattern, the shoes will have a better grip.

Despite the tread pattern, each shape must be spaced far from each other to allow the proper dispersion of liquids. If the shapes are close to each other, they'll end up trapping water or oil and can increase the risk of hydroplaning.

Test Drive

If you take your car to test drive, why did you not do the same with your shoes! If you find the right quality shoes, it's time to put it to test. You may not found the wet floor, but you can find the ultra-shiny floors of wood and linoleum to walk on it. While you step on the floor, try to notice how your foot moves on the surface. You have to slide too; while you do it, you batter notice the shoe is slippery or non-slippery.

If you do not find the shiny floor and can not run the taste, you have to find a bench to sit and run your hand on the sole. This way, you will be able to understand the sleekness of the shoe. If it's too slippery, it's not the thing that you want.

Non-slip Labeling

When you go shopping, you may notice that many brands label as non-slip on the box. Most labels are fake, so don't be a fool. There is no official standard set for non-slip shoes. Many companies advertise their shoes as slip-resistant without any actual evidence.

Whenever you are looking for non-slip shoes, don't trust labels, taste the outsole yourself to make sure it's slip-resistant. But a non-slip label is good to start searching. You can also check the tread pattern if it provides a good grip on the surface.

If a shoe company advertises that shoe is oil resistant, it doesn't mean that it's also non slip. Oil resistance implies the top of the shoe, and the shoe's material does not suffer from oil.

When to Wear Non-Slip Shoes

Non-slip shoes help you in many situations to improve your safety and stability. Many people never use slip-resistant shoes in the whole world, and they get injured by slipping and falling. But many people like runners and hikers always use non-slip shoes when they step outdoors. They got benefits from non-slip shoes in daily activities.

Non-slip shoes are also used at many workplaces, like restaurants, hospitals, hotels, and many more. The use of slip-resistant shoes reduces the risk of accidents. When you go for a walk, and there is a possibility of oily and wet floors, you have to wear non-slip footwear. With the right shoe, you can avoid trips and falls when you run, walk, and lift heavy objects.

Slip-resistant footwear works very well on any surface and helps prevent falling in slick or non-slip condition. But in snowy conditions, it works opposite because snow gets into the trade pattern's groves and blocks your footwear grip, it may increase the risk of slip and fall. Non-slip also did not work in the mud.

Testing for Slip-Resistance

A label might not tell you much about non-slip, many manufacturers claim that they manufacture slip-resistant footwear, but not all companies put their shoes under rigorous test. Test results will help you figure out which footwear will protect you from slipping and prove that the outsole is (perfect on both slick and dry surfaces.

Different companies have different standards to check non-slip footwear. But there are three main tests that manufacturers use to test the grip of the shoe against the floor.

• BOT-3000E

• The British Pendulum Tester

• Tortus

BOT-3000E

The BOT-3000E digital tribometer is one of the best machines that run a test to measure slip-resistance without human input. Non-slip tests measured in terms of DCOF (Dynamic Coefficient of Friction. With this machine, you can measure the force of friction between the floor and the sole of the shoe.

According to parameters set by ANSI (American National Standards Institute), a pair of shoes got the high slip-resistance, if the test of minimum DCOF (dynamic coefficient of friction) is 0.43. If shoes got a minimum DCOF of 0.30, it means the shoes have low slip-resistance. That is the way you can check the resistance of footwear.

The British Pendulum Tester

The British pendulum tester is very commonly used in all over the world to measure the slip-resistance of a shoe. Check the slip-resistance; the test measured in terms of PTV (Pendulum test Value). The value of the minimum safety standard, according to PTV, is 36 that measures the slip-resistance of shoes.

There is a specific separate standard for soft and hard rubber when it comes to PTV. Some countries have their Pendulum test Values that measure the footwear performance on crosswalks, pool decks, ramps, and more.

Tortus

The Tortus digital tribometer test is beneficial for shoe manufacturers. This machine is high-speed, and it can complete the slip-resistant test in a short timeframe. This machine also runs the test on both soft and hard rubbers, in every weather condition.

The DCOF has different values for ramps, slippery, and inclined floors, but the minimum value of non-slip shoe is 0.5; the Ceramic Tile Institute of America sets this value.

Conclusion

Finding the non-slip shoes is right for you, but do it with hard work you will get the best pair for you. Researching slip-resistant footwear before buying it is a must. If you got the wrong pair, it ends with harm yourself. So make the right decision and protect yourself.