Finding Slip-Resistant Shoes

The important thing to know about slippery environments is that they are all different; and they are so diverse, it is very difficult to design a test that simulates the slip-resistance of all environments.  

The reason is there is a multitude of floor surface materials and finishes, and in addition, you have a multitude of materials that are on the floor, and these materials interact with the floor surfaces to produce the slippery condition.  Moreover, there are some materials that clog up the pattern of the sole or coat the sole, and they also cause slippery conditions.  You have wet environments, including liquids of all kinds including water, oils, and chemicals, and you have dry environments including dusty materials like corn starch, talcum, and graphite-like materials.  Another tough environment is materials that are on the floor that clog up the soles, like food materials in food processing plants or residue material, sometimes called “drool”, in injection molding environments.  Some of this material is small enough to get stuck in the grove of the sole of a shoe; and because the material is hard, it causes the shoe to slip since the shoe’s sole can’t grip the floor.  .

While there are two major tests in the US for testing the slip-resistance of a shoe (Brungraber II or III and James Test), none is really good enough to predict the slip-resistance in your area unless it is a simple wet surface.  I maintain the only real way to determine if the sole is going to be slip-resistant enough is to test the shoe’s sole in the environment.  Most manufacturers and even some safety shoe dealers will do free wear-tests; so if you are looking to subcontract your safety shoe program, ask them to do some “wear-tests” for you before you start the program.  The Brungraber Test (Mark I, Mark II, and the Mark III) is the newer of the tests, but the United States Postal Service uses .5 on the James Test to determine their slip-resistant specification.

In summary, there is not a standard ASTM, slip-resistance test for shoes or shoe soles; and even if there was, you would still want to wear-test the product in the environment to really determine if it was slip-resistant.  There are just too many different slippery environments to have a standard.

There is an excellent discussion of all the different Slip-Resistant testing machines in use, which demonstrates why there is no standard.  The website, created by Jay Preston, a Certified Safety Professional and Professional Engineer, is good information.  And Mr. Preston is a member of the ASTM F-13 committee on Safety and Traction of Footwear.  Check out his website. http://www.safetybiz.com/Sliptest.htm

You can view our selection of slip resistant shoes here.