The traction performance of the footwear deteriorates due to outsole wear which further increases the risk of slip and fall related accidents. To date, several studies have tested footwear tractions across several slippery conditions but only a few studies have attempted to assess their performance considering worn shoes. In this work, nine outsoles, with systematically modified tread geometries, were investigated, to study the effects of tread patterns in new and worn conditions on traction, across common slippery conditions. The outsoles were progressively worn in three wear cycles. Outsoles with increased worn regions generated lower friction and higher fluid pressures, indicating increased slipping risks. Also, diversion of fluid flow due to large worn regions produced high fluid accumulations at other locations over the outsoles. The methods and results are anticipated to help footwear manufacturers with the strategic design of tread patterns that can provide improved friction even when completely worn.
BeschornerKE, LiY, YamaguchiT, . The future of footwear friction. Lect Notes Netw Syst. 2021;223(LNNS):841–855. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-74614-8_103
2.
BellJL, CollinsJW, WolfL, . Evaluation of a comprehensive slip, trip and fall prevention programme for hospital employees. Ergonomics. 2009;51:1906–1925. doi:10.1080/00140130802248092
3.
FlorenceC, SimonT, HaegerichT, . Estimated lifetime medical and work-loss costs of fatal injuries — United States, 2013. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2015;64:1074–1077. doi:10.15585/MMWR.MM6438A4
4.
2017 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index. n.d.
5.
JonesT, IraqiA, BeschornerK.Performance testing of work shoes labeled as slip resistant. Appl Ergon. 2018;68:304–312. doi:10.1016/J.APERGO.2017.12.008
6.
IraqiA, ChamR, RedfernMS, . Coefficient of friction testing parameters influence the prediction of human slips. Appl Ergon. 2018;70:118–126. doi:10.1016/J.APERGO.2018.02.017
7.
GuptaS, ChatterjeeS, ChandaA.Effect of footwear material wear on slips and falls. Mater Today Proc. 2022;62:3508–3515. doi:10.1016/J.MATPR.2022.04.313
8.
MoghaddamSRM, AcharyaA, RedfernMS, . Predictive multiscale computational model of shoe-floor coefficient of friction. J Biomech. 2018;66:145–152. doi:10.1016/J.JBIOMECH.2017.11.009
9.
ChandaA, JonesTG, BeschornerKE.Generalizability of footwear traction performance across flooring and contaminant conditions. IISE Trans Occup Ergon Hum Factors. 2018;6:98–108. doi:10.1080/24725838.2018.1517702
10.
JakobsenL, LysdalFG, BagehornT, . The effect of footwear outsole material on slip resistance on dry and contaminated surfaces with geometrically controlled outsoles. Ergonomics. 2022;66:1–8. doi:10.1080/00140139.2022.2081364
11.
BeschornerKE, SiegelJL, HemlerSL, . An observational ergonomic tool for assessing the worn condition of slip-resistant shoes. Appl Ergon. 2020;88:103140. doi:10.1016/J.APERGO.2020.103140
12.
BeschornerKE, MeehanEE, IraqiA, . Designing shoe tread for friction performance: a hierarchical approach. Footwear Sci. 2021;13:S97–S99. doi:10.1080/19424280.2021.1917701
13.
StrobelCM, MenezesPL, LovellMR, . Analysis of the contribution of adhesion and hysteresis to shoe-floor lubricated friction in the boundary lubrication regime. Tribol Lett. 2012;47:341–347. doi:10.1007/S11249-012-9989-5/TABLES/2
14.
GuptaS, ChatterjeeS, MalviyaA, . Traction performance of common formal footwear on slippery surfaces. Surfaces. 2022;5:489–503. doi:10.3390/SURFACES5040035
15.
LiKW, ChenCJ.The effect of shoe soling tread groove width on the coefficient of friction with different sole materials, floors, and contaminants. Appl Ergon. 2004;35:499–507. doi:10.1016/J.APERGO.2004.06.010
16.
YamaguchiT, KatsurashimaY, HokkirigawaK.Effect of rubber block height and orientation on the coefficients of friction against smooth steel surface lubricated with glycerol solution. Tribol Int. 2017;110:96–102. doi:10.1016/J.TRIBOINT.2017.02.015
17.
HemlerSL, CharbonneauDN, BeschornerKE.Predicting hydrodynamic conditions under worn shoes using the tapered-wedge solution of reynolds equation. Tribol Int. 2020;145:106161. doi:10.1016/J.TRIBOINT.2020.106161
18.
HemlerSL, CharbonneauDN, IraqiA, . Changes in under-shoe traction and fluid drainage for progressively worn shoe tread. Appl Ergon. 2019;80:35–42. doi:10.1016/J.APERGO.2019.04.014
19.
MeehanEE, VidicN, BeschornerKE.In contrast to slip-resistant shoes, fluid drainage capacity explains friction performance across shoes that are not slip-resistant. Appl Ergon. 2022;100:103663. doi:10.1016/J.APERGO.2021.103663
20.
BlanchetteMG, PowersCM.The influence of footwear tread groove parameters on available friction. Appl Ergon. 2015;50:237–241. doi:10.1016/J.APERGO.2015.03.018
21.
HaleJ, LewisR, CarréMJ.Effect of simulated tennis steps and slides on tread element friction and wear. Sport Eng. 2021;24:1–9. doi:10.1007/S12283-021-00343-4/FIGURES/9
22.
GoffJE, BoswellL, UraD, . Critical shoe contact area ratio for sliding on a tennis hard court. Proc Inst Mech Eng Part P J Sport Eng Technol. 2018;232:112–121. doi:10.1177/1754337117715341/ASSET/IMAGES/LARGE/10.1177_1754337117715341-FIG14.JPEG
23.
ChangW-R, GrönqvistR, LeclercqS, . The role of friction in the measurement of slipperiness, part 1: friction mechanisms and definition of test conditions the role of friction in the measurement of slipperiness, part 1: friction mechanisms and de®nition of test conditions. Ergonomics. 2001;44:1217–1232. doi:10.1080/00140130110085574
24.
MoghaddamSRM, HemlerSL, RedfernMS, . Computational model of shoe wear progression: comparison with experimental results. Wear. 2019;422–423:235–241. doi:10.1016/J.WEAR.2019.01.070
25.
KimIJ, SmithR, NagataH.Microscopic observations of the progressive wear on shoe surfaces that affect the slip resistance characteristics. Int J Ind Ergon. 2001;28:17–29. doi:10.1016/S0169-8141(01)00010-5
26.
CookA, HemlerS, SundaramV, . Differences in friction performance between new and worn shoes. IISE Trans Occup Ergon Hum Factors. 2021;8:209–214. doi:10.1080/24725838.2021.1925998
27.
HemlerSL, PlinerEM, RedfernMS, . Effects of natural shoe wear on traction performance: a longitudinal study. Footwear Sci. 2021;14:1–12. doi:10.1080/19424280.2021.1994022
28.
AlbertD, MoyerB, BeschornerKE.Three-Dimensional shoe kinematics during unexpected slips: implications for shoe–floor friction testing. IISE Trans Occup Ergon Hum Factors. 2016;5:1–11. doi:10.1080/21577323.2016.1241963
29.
BeschornerKE, AlbertDL, ChambersAJ, . Fluid pressures at the shoe–floor–contaminant interface during slips: effects of tread & implications on slip severity. J Biomech. 2014;47:458–463. doi:10.1016/J.JBIOMECH.2013.10.046
30.
ChangWR, LeclercqS, LockhartTE, . State of science: occupational slips, trips and falls on the same level*. Ergonomics. 2016;59:861–883. doi:10.1080/00140139.2016.1157214
31.
Standard test method for measuring the coefficient of friction for evaluation of slip performance of footwear and test surfaces/flooring using a whole shoe tester n.d.
32.
GuptaS, SidhuSS, ChatterjeeS, . Effect of floor coatings on slip-resistance of safety shoes. Coatings. 2022;12:1455. doi:10.3390/COATINGS12101455
33.
GuptaS, MalviyaA, ChatterjeeS, . Development of a portable device for surface traction characterization at the shoe-floor interface. Surfaces. 2022;5:504–520. doi:10.3390/SURFACES5040036
34.
GuptaS, ChatterjeeS, MalviyaA, . Frictional assessment of low-cost shoes in worn conditions across workplaces. J Bio- Tribo-Corrosion. 2023;9:1–13. doi:10.1007/S40735-023-00741-0/FIGURES/12
35.
BeschornerKE, IraqiA, RedfernMS, . Predicting slips based on the STM 603 whole-footwear tribometer under different coefficient of friction testing conditions. Ergonomics. 2019;62:668–681. doi:10.1080/00140139.2019.1567828
36.
IraqiA, BeschornerKE.Vertical ground reaction forces during unexpected human slips. Proc Hum Factors Ergon Soc. 2017;2017-Octob:924–928. doi:10.1177/1541931213601713
37.
KanyantaV, IvankovicA.Mechanical characterisation of polyurethane elastomer for biomedical applications. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2010;3:51–62. doi:10.1016/J.JMBBM.2009.03.005
38.
PapagiannisP, AzariadisP, PapanikosP.Evaluation and optimization of footwear comfort parameters using finite element analysis and a discrete optimization algorithm. IOP Conf Ser Mater Sci Eng. 2017;254:162010. doi:10.1088/1757-899X/254/16/162010
39.
RodriguesPV, RamoaB, MachadoAV, . Assessing the compressive and impact behavior of plastic safety toe caps through computational modelling. Polymers (Basel). 2021;13:4332. doi:10.3390/POLYM13244332
40.
ChhikaraK, GuptaS, ChandaA.Development of a novel foot orthosis for plantar pain reduction. Mater Today Proc. 2022;62:3532–3537. doi:10.1016/J.MATPR.2022.04.361
41.
GuptaS, GuptaV, ChandaA.Biomechanical modeling of novel high expansion auxetic skin grafts. Int J Numer Method Biomed Eng. 2022;38. doi:10.1002/CNM.3586
42.
GuptaS, SinghG, ChandaA.Prediction of diabetic foot ulcer progression: a computational study. Biomed Phys Eng Express. 2021;7:065020. doi:10.1088/2057-1976/AC29F3
43.
SinghG, GuptaS, ChandaA.Biomechanical modelling of diabetic foot ulcers: a computational study. J Biomech. 2021;127:110699. doi:10.1016/J.JBIOMECH.2021.110699
44.
IraqiA, VidicNS, RedfernMS, . Prediction of coefficient of friction based on footwear outsole features. Appl Ergon. 2020;82:102963. doi:10.1016/J.APERGO.2019.102963
