Investing in the best slip-resistant shoes can save your bones and money, especially if you are prone to falling or working on slippery surfaces. But how do you put your boots through their paces in the store? You can experiment with a few simple tricks.
According to the CDC, slips, trips, and falls are the second most common type of fatal work injury and the third most common type of non-fatal injury (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Furthermore, slips, trips, and falls frequently result in lost time at workâmore than ten days on average for same-level workplace falls.
Protective footwear is essential for avoiding crippling injuries such as sprains, strains, torn muscles, dislocations, and fractures.
An excellent non-slip work shoe can help you keep your balance and traction on a slick floor.
If you work or play in a wet environment, such as on a boat, and don’t want to lose your footing, non-slip shoes can be helpful.
What are non-slip shoes?
Non-slip shoes help prevent falls in some cases. A slip-resistant shoe is a safety shoe. As the name implies, non-slip shoes are designed to keep wearers from slipping and falling on wet, oily, or slick surfaces.
They differ from standard shoes in that they have a rubber sole that provides better grip and traction, making them ideal for outdoor use.
Slip Resistant shoes are also considered Best Shoes for Pharmacists and other workers like servers, nurses, healthcare workers, restaurant workers, and people who walk a lot.
Is Slip Resistant and Non-slip Shoes Same?
Yes, Slip-resistant shoes are also called non-slip shoes. Both words are synonyms and describe the same shoes.
How To Tell If Shoes Are Non-Slip
By following ways, you can guess if the shoes are non-slip or not. Make sure to use as many indicators as described and follow instructions carefully.
To examine the appearance of the shoe.
Examine the soles of shoes before purchasing to make sure they are non-slip. Some soles will have a textured or coarse pattern to prevent slipping, whereas others may contain an actual substance to keep you in place.
If the shoes do not fit appropriately after trying them on, make sure the sole is flat and free of indentations or grooves. Squiggles, circles, or hexagons are common patterns on the bottom of the outsole.
This is done to create friction, which aids in gripping the floor while preventing water from collecting underneath and making the shoe waterproof.
Look for grooves or patterns on the shoe soles. Non-Slip shoes have coarsely patterned soles to provide traction on slick surfaces.
If there are no distinct markings on the shoe’s bottom, you may slip and slide when wearing them.
Examine the material of the shoes
Look for material on the shoe’s soles. Shoes with a slipping-prevention substance have a thin, rubber-like coating on the bottom of the soles. This type of sole is typically gleaming and has a sticky feel.
You can tell if a shoe is this type because it does not feel flat no matter how hard you press it.
If you can’t tell whether the shoes are slip-resistant or non-skid by looking for grooves, patterned soles, or coating, consider what they’re made of. Non-Slip shoes have thicker soles than regular shoes.
Examine the sole of the shoe
Examine the shoes to see if they are heavier than usual. Because non-slip shoes have thicker soles, they should be noticeably more severe than other shoes.
If you’re not sure if the shoe is heavier, try lifting it with one hand. Checking for weight can also help you determine whether or not the shoe soles are flat.
Remember that some slip-resistant shoes have textured non-skid soles that may also be patterned or grooved.
If there are no distinguishing features on the shoe, look at the label to see if it says slip-resistant or non-skid.
Shoes that can keep you from slipping and sliding will be designed with this in mind. If the label only says “water-resistant,” the shoe will be water-resistant but will not keep you from slipping on wet surfaces.
Tips & Warnings about slip-resistant shoes
Non-slip shoes are frequently more expensive than standard shoes. There is a reason for this: they are intended to keep you from slipping and sliding, falling, and suffering severe injury.
If you work in wet conditions, invest in slip-resistant shoes to keep you safe.
Give a trial period before making a purchase.
If you want slip-resistant shoes for work or play, walk across a wet and slippery surface before purchasing them to see if they keep you from slipping.
Read the labels
Some slip-resistant shoes will state so on the label, while others may only be water-resistant. Non-skid and slip-resistant shoes will typically have an additional label stating that they can help prevent slipping.
Slip-resistant shoes must be designed specifically for that purpose and have a slip-resistant sole.
These shoes are typically wider than regular shoes and have a thick sole patterned, grooved, or coated to provide traction.
Formation of the shoe
To make them slip-resistant, non-slip shoes typically have thicker soles. These shoes will be heavier than regular footwear and, if excessively heavy, may appear clunky.
Shoes with rubber-like substances on the bottom soles will be shiny and sticky to the touch. These kinds of shoes are designed to give you traction without making it easy for you to slip and slide on wet surfaces.
Analyze the sole
If the shoe does not appear flat under your foot, it is likely that the sole is thicker than usual and has a rubber-like coating.
Thicker soles may be heavier than standard shoes. If the shoe is unusually heavy, it could be because the sole is more dense than usual or has a rubber-like coating. When you step in shoes that are not slip-resistant, you will only absorb water.
These shoes will either be heavier than regular shoes in terms of weight or have a clunky feel.
Water-resistant labeling on shoes
Water-resistant Shoes can resist water, but they won’t keep you from slipping and sliding on wet surfaces.
Slip-resistant shoes must be designed explicitly for this purpose and have a slip-resistant sole with a pattern, grooves, or a rubberized coating.
Characteristics of Non-slip shoes :
The ideal slip-resistant footwear will include:
- EVA rubber outsoles are lightweight, soft, and long-lasting.
- A non-slip hexagonal tread pattern.
- Collars with padding.
- Uppers that are water- and stain-resistant
- The midsole is cushioned for maximum comfort.
- Adequate toe boxes
- A flattering and adaptable design.