How is the Slip Resistance of Winter Footwear Assessed?
February 21st 2022
In our previous blog on winter recreation safety tips, one of the recommendations proposed by agencies was to choose a good pair of winter boots. This may seem like common sense to some, but it does raise a question, how does one select a good pair of winter boots? – boots that are not only warm and comfortable but also provide slip resistance when navigating ice and slippery conditions.
As one may expect, there are multiple test methods researchers use to try and assess the slip resistance of winter footwear. A recent study compared multiple test methods, including assessing the repeatability and reproducibility of the mechanical testing method and then comparing the mechanical test results to the results of a human-centered test approach. Overall, the researchers suggested that the mechanical method must continue to be refined to make it more comparable to human-centered methods [1].
It may be argued that the mechanical methods do not closely resemble the real-world scenarios to which the boots are subjected during daily living. However, there is still a need for laboratory-based testing to allow for controlled analyses, and comparisons to be made between footwear. For example, the “WinterLab” at the KITE Research Institute (part of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute) is a self-contained laboratory that can be tilted up to 15 degrees as the participants walk up and down the slope, where the surface of the floor can also be altered to mimic ice, as reported by Roshan Fekr et al. [1].
The KITE Research Institute tests hundreds of winter boots in WinterLab, and every set of boots is tested with four separate participants. The participants walk on both wet and cold, dry ice. After examining the results of all four rounds of testing, each boot is given an overall rating based on the lowest score achieved. The lab gives a one snowflake rating to boots that makes it up at least seven degrees of elevation on both wet and dry ice; if the boots do not make it to that angle, the boots fail the test [2]. Seven degrees was chosen as the minimum as it meets the accessibility guidelines in Ontario for a curb ramp [3]. Results that come out of KITE regarding footwear slip resistance can be found here.
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[1] Roshan Fekr A, Li Y, Gauvin C, Wong G, Cheng W, Fernie G, Dutta T. Evaluation of Winter Footwear: Comparison of Test Methods to Determine Footwear Slip Resistance on Ice Surfaces. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 6;18(2):405. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18020405. PMID: 33419196; PMCID: PMC7825554.
[2] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/marketplace-boot-test-1.6252613