Effect of Footwear Wear on the Available Traction

The lack of enough friction at the shoe-floor contact is the main cause of slipping incidents. Additionally, the risk of sliding is greatly increased by the presence of slick pollutants like water or oil on the flooring. In addition to the presence of slick contaminants, one of the main causes that might result in a significant reduction in friction is the gradual deterioration of outsole treads. The slip severity of five footwear styles was examined in the current chapter under both new and used situations. The topographical characteristics of the outsoles were modelled, gradually worn and slip tested using a specialized tribometer (i.e., British pendulum skid tester) on three different flooring types (i.e., laminate, ceramic and anti-skid) and three different contaminant situations (i.e., dry, water and canola oil).