What are non-slip shoes and how to choose them?
Wearing slip-resistant shoes is essential for your safety if you work in an area with wet, slippery, and uneven surfaces.
These shoes have thick, deep treads to grip the slick surface better. They are specifically designed to reduce slips, trips, and accidental falls. They are an excellent companion for outdoor adventures, construction, food service, and health care professionals.
By choosing slip-resistant shoes, you can ensure high safety in your movement. These shoes are uniquely designed to reduce trips and falls in a workplace with a slick surface.
In this guide, I will discuss non-slip shoes, their features, and how to distinguish between slip-resistant and regular shoes. I will also include a buying guide.
If your shoes are white, you might find our guide on how to clean white shoes especially helpful to keep them looking new and professional.
What are Non-Slip Shoes?
Cleats specifically designed to reduce slip, trip, and accidental falls on slick surfaces are slip-resistant boots.
These boots offer better traction than regular shoes; these boots feature specific design elements such as a deep tread pattern and grippy outsole for better traction and stability.
These types of footwear are essential for people working in environments with a significant risk of slips and falls.
Workplace injuries are more common, such as construction workers, food and service workers, and health and care professionals.
Features of Slip-Resistant Shoes
1. Design and outsole tread pattern:
Non-slip shoes tend to have interlocking deep tread patterns in hexagons, triangles, and squares that channel away water from your foot and allow the slip-resistant sole to grip the floor, providing better slip resistance.
2. Material:
Manufacturers design the outsole of nonslip shoes with soft rubber, which provides a superior grip on slippery surfaces. Most non-slip shoe soles feature soft but durable EVA rubber.
EVA rubber is a synthetic foam-like resin used in the midsole and outsole of various shoes.
3. Thick Padded collar & cushioned insole:
Non-slip shoes have a thick padded collar for additional foot protection and a cushioned insole for excellent arch support.
4. Deeper Grooves:
Non-slip shoes have deeper grooves that provide higher friction against the floor’s surface. The average friction you can gain for each tread is between .018 and .108.
How to Identify Non-Slip Shoes?
1. Look at the tread Pattern:
Check the shoes’ tread pattern. Outsole non-slip shoes have deep tread patterns shaped like hexagons, triangles, squares, or circles.
These treads are individually separated by a small channel. Hence, the liquid runs away from the foot, helping your shoes grip the floor better.
The space between tread patterns should be at least 2 mm each to avoid water trapping, increasing hydroplaning risk.
Smaller and circular tread patterns offer more powerful slip resistance because they have more surface area pressing against the floor than other shapes.
2. Check the Outsole:
The outsole shape of the non slip footwear is crafted with high-quality rubber. It has an angled and rounded heel and toe to help the liquid run off to your shoes, making it less slippery.
Also, the soles of slip-resistant shoes are thicker than standard shoes for more cushion and comfort, primarily if they are intended for work purposes. This provides additional support from stepping on sharp objects.
These shoes typically have a gritty or pattern outsole to enhance grip on the slick surface.
3. Test The Shoes:
The best method of checking the shoes is to wear and test them. Walk around and pay attention to how the grip and traction feel.
Walk on a hard surface, such as tile, and try sliding the shoes from side to side to check how effectively the boot grips the floor. If the boot has a firm grip and does not move quickly, it is likely a non-slip shoe.
During the test, pay attention to other factors such as fit cushioning and overall comfort of the boot.
3. Check the label and Read the Product Description:
The easiest way to determine whether the shoes are slip-resistant is to check the labels provided on the cleat’s tongue or a brief description of the rubber sole. Look for phrases like “slip-resistant.”
If you are buying the boot online, check if the product description indicates that the boot is non-slip.
How to Choose Slip-Resistant Shoes?
Traction, protection, and arc support are the three main aspects of anti-skid shoes.
- Choose comfortable shoes with enough wiggle room in the toe box, as you will use them for a long time.
- Consider the cleat according to the work profile. If you are working on a slick surface, choose a boot with a good grip.
- Look for a boot with a deep tread pattern, as it helps to provide better traction on the slippery surface.
- Ensure that shoes are water-resistant and rugged at the top to protect against burburns and toe injuries. Pick boots lacking leather or polyurethane that are durable and easy to clean.
- Go with the cleat that has good arch support as most common injuries in workers who walk and stand all day are due to the foot shore if the shoes do not have adequate arc support.
- If you wear shoe inserts, carry them while trying out new boots, especially slip-resistant ones.
- Lastly, ensure that boots have been tested and certified by a third-party organisation such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
Difference Between Regular and Non-Skid Footwear
| Non-Skid Footwear | Regular Footwear |
| It has a deep tread pattern that helps to prevent slipping on slick surfaces. | It has a smaller tread pattern. |
| Soles are thicker than regular shoes for more comfort and cushions. | It has a thin and wide sole. |
| They are made with rugged and more durable material to withstand wear and tear when working in wet and slippery conditions. | Materials used for manufacturing are less durable than slip-resistant shoes. |
Job That Requires Anti-Skid Boot
- Construction Workers
- Restaurant Worker
- Health Professionals
- Food Processing Factory Workers
- Health and safety professionals
- Children and elderly family members
- Hikers, runners, and athletes seek boots that enhance their grip on various terrains.
Conclusion:
Do not hesitate to invest in good slip-resistant shoes if you spend more time in an environment with slippery and uneven surfaces.
Buying good non-slip shoes reduces the probability of slips, trips, and falls, reducing the risk of injury and improving overall safety.
Which nonslip shoes are you using to prevent falling on slick surfaces? Please let me know in the comment section.
FAQs
Bots with deep tread patterns on the outsole are made from soft rubber and individually separated by small channels. They keep feet stable on slick surfaces like non-slip shoes.
Q. 2 Which is better, slip-resistant or nonslip?
Slip-resistant and non-slip shoes are two terms that are used interchangeably in marketing and by experts like podiatrists.
No. All non-slip shoes have a rubber sole, but all rubber is not slip-resistant. Outsoles made with soft rubber are slip-resistant against oil and greasy surfaces.
Various methods can transform regular shoes into non-slip shoes.
1. Braking in outsole
2. Using sandpaper to create a texture on the sole that gives a grip
3. By using adhesive bandages
4. Using a traction spray
5. By using a Hot glue Gun
A well-worn slip-resistant shoe can last 6 to 12 months, while the manufacturers recommend changing the boots every six months.
