Footwear Safety in the Light of Scientific Research

Abstract

Improving living conditions and developing medical care contributes to increasing human life expectancy.Because motor skills decrease with age, older people need comfortable shoes that provide a high level ofsafety. The soles should not deform during temperature changes, they should have appropriate thermalinsulation properties and a good grip to dry, wet, and dirty floor surfaces, as slips usually occur on surfacescovered with ice, water, oil, grease, mud, etc.During the use of footwear, the friction coefficient is important. It depends on various factors, including:the type of a polymer matrix, auxiliary agents, the shape of the tread, the hardness of the sole, stiffness,wettability, and pressure. From the point of view of the footwear safety, the type of the sole material, itsconstruction, especially the profile of the sole, the shape of the heel, and the thickness of the sole, as well asthe method of use, are important.The types of rubbing surfaces (their structures, physical properties), the temperature of the contacting bodies,and the type of the substrate have a significant impact on friction. The assumption and purpose of the articlewas to compare the methods for determining the coefficient of friction between the shoe soles and walkingsurfaces used in scientific research around the world in relation to the methodology developed in Poland.