Have you ever wondered how non-slip shoes (also known as slip-resistant shoes) work? Just look at the sole of your feet, there's your answer.
What are non-slip shoes?
Non-slip shoes help to reduce slips, trips and falls. The slip-resistant grip on the tread of the shoes helps the wearer stay on their feet when walking on wet and greasy surfaces.
Employees who work in food service, catering, health care, construction, manufacturing, and more, benefit from wearing non-slip shoes (do you know what shoes you should be wearing at work? Find out in 30 seconds what type of shoes are best for your industry).
Slips and trips are responsible for most workplace accidents in Great Britain. According to HSE.co.uk, slips, trips and falls make up 44% of all workplace injuries.
So, how do non-slip shoes work?
We know slip-resistant shoes are designed to reduce slips, trips and falls but how do they work exactly? It's all about the tread.
Shoes which have higher friction have deeper tread grooves. These deep grooves resist against slips and falls because they grip on the ground and, theoretically, the more grooves you have on your shoes, the more slip-resistant the shoes are. On average the friction you gain for each tread groove ranges between 0.018 to 0.108 (but this depends on the condition of the floor you're walking on).
The shape of the patterns on the outsole can also affect the shoes' grip. Circle outsoles and multiple designs increase grip, especially on wet or oily floors. If your shoes have a flat design, it prevents the liquid from moving away from the base of the shoe so when you're walking, you're more likely to slip.
The tread of the shoe is designed to give you better grip on wet surfaces. Just look at your shoe, if it's flat with no treads then you have no grip and you're far more likely to have an accident compared to someone wearing slip-resistant shoes. The treads give you traction so when you try to slide your feet across the floor, the tread grips to the floor. When you're walking or running, the tread of your shoes grip to the ground. If you come across a wet surface and you're not wearing slip-resistant shoes, you're more likely to fall.
The material of the tread on slip-resistant shoes helps resist against slips. High grade rubber has proved successful at gripping on greasy surfaces and provides strong traction.
What makes Shoes For Crews Shoes Grip?
For over thirty years Shoes For Crews has benefited workplace safety with the design of their Shoes For Crews superior outsole technology. Their slip-resistant grip has been worn by employees in many different industries because they are reliable work shoes that help reduce accidents.
Shoes for Crews products use a unique compound on the sole of their shoes which gives them premium slip-resistant grip. The high grade rubber and micro-channel tread is ideal for workers who are at major risks of slips and falls. Shoes For Crews' patented design gives their shoes unbelievable grip.
Shoes For Crews Grip Rating
The Health & Safety Laboratory (HSL) developed the GRIP rating to test the resistance of non-slip footwear.
Shoes For Crews has the highest grip rating for slip-resistant shoes, proving they are reliable shoes for work.
Non-slip/slip-resistant shoes can help reduce workplace accidents. Employers can help keep their workers safe and you can protect your own health by wearing the correct footwear for work.
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The difference between a slip resistant shoe and a normal shoe
There's a big difference between wearing your favourite high street shoes to work and wearing a pair of work shoes. Work shoes are designed to support you. Have a look at the results of a test we did between a high street trainer and our popular Old School Low Rider IV: