Tag Archives: slip resistant outsole

The Most Commonly Slipped on Surfaces

Despite the preventative measures your company takes and the safety regulations they have in place, workplace accidents will still happen.

Knowing what types of surfaces can become the most slippery can help create awareness and allow you to pay closer attention to your surroundings while you’re on the job. Here are some of the most commonly slipped on surfaces, and a few preventative measures that you can take to stop slips before they happen.

What is a “Slip”?

We all know what a “slip” is, but why do they happen? A “slip” occurs when there isn’t enough traction or friction between the shoes and the walking surface.

When walking, you need friction between your shoes and the surface you are walking on in order to move forward and get around. When there’s a lack of friction, slips happen.

Wet or Dry, You’re Still at Risk

It’s no surprise that wet tile, laminate, and hard wood floors are a major cause for accidents in the workplace, but did you know that polished floors such as marble or ceramic tile can be extremely slippery even when they’re dry?

Materials such as dusts, powders, granules, and plastic wrapping are all examples of dry, slippery substances to keep an eye out for and be aware of.

Don’t Get Caught Slippin’

If you see a spill or slippery spot, first take the time to make it clear that the area is wet. “Wet floor” signs or caution cones are a great way to notify your coworkers. If something has been spilled, clean it up appropriately. It is better to get the spill cleared as soon as possible, as it lessens the chance for a slip and fall accident to occur.

In order to prevent slips from happening on a dry surface, make sure that you are sweeping and dusting the floor on a regular basis. This will prevent any buildup of dust and other fine substances from settling on the floor.

Curious about the proper way to clean up a spill and what slip resistant shoes we offer? Learn more at srmax.com

Our Top 3 Greatest Shoes for Waiters

Whether you’re working part time to earn some extra cash or you’re a seasoned veteran to the serving game, you know that being a server can very rough on your body.

From carrying food to rushing in and out of a hot and busy kitchen, after your shift you can’t wait to kick off your shoes and prop your feet up. Because of this, having the right waiter shoes is even more important.

As a server, you want to keep a few things in mind when investing in a new pair of work shoes:

Cushion: Working a long shift is not only exhausting, but with improper shoes, it can also be painful. You want to make sure that the shoes you are wearing have the proper cushion in order to support and keep your feet comfortable through your whole entire shift.
Style: Now, this will depend on your restaurant’s environment. From upscale dining to a more causal and laid back setting, there are safe and comfortable shoes perfect for either atmosphere. You chose the one best for your work environment.
Arch Support: Arch support is crucial! Having a good shoe that supports the health of your foot will ultimately be more beneficial for you and your body.
Quality: Price may be your first concern, but buying better quality shoes actually saves money in the long run. Shoes that are constructed using the best materials and proper construction should serve you for well over 6 months, which means you don’t have to buy shoes as often.

Now that we’ve gone over the important things to consider when purchasing a work shoe, we decided to provide you all with a few examples! Here are some of our more popular slip resistant restaurant shoes.

Casual

To the left is our SR Max^® Dover Slip Resistant athletic shoe and for the ladies we have the stylish Malibu women’s casual work shoe. This style comes in men and women’s sizes. This shoe is perfect for a more casual atmosphere.

Dress Casual

The shoe on the left is our men’s SR Max^® Providence Slip Resistant Dress Oxford. The shoe to the right is women’s SR Max^® Bristol dress wedge. Both of these styles are appropriate for a setting that may be more of a business casual atmosphere.

Dress

To the left we have our men’s SR Max^® Augusta dress shoe and to the right we have our women’s SR Max^® Isabella shoe. These styles are perfect for more of a business professional atmosphere.

These are just a few of the wonderful style s that SR Max^® offers for the typical types of restaurant environment. If the kind of shoe you need for your work environment was not listed, please visit our website and find your perfect shoe today!

What Makes A Shoe Slip Resistant?

Article by Brinklee Bailey

I was having a conversation with a gentleman on Twitter the other day when he Tweeted: “Almost all Nike’s are slip resistant”. This makes sense, right? After all, basketball players don’t want to slip on hardwood floors, so they must wear slip resistant shoes, right?

Wrong.

There are several factors and tests that go into making a great slip resistant work shoe. The distinguishing features of a slip resistant shoe are the outsole design, tread pattern, and material used in the outsole. Here’s a breakdown of what separates a slip resistant shoe from a regular shoe.

Material

The outsole is more commonly referred to as the “sole” of the shoe, but to avoid confusion with the insole and midsole, the outsole is the part of the shoe that comes in direct contact with the ground. A slip resistant outsole is softer, and made of rubber that is more slip resistant when exposed to water and oil than other outsole compounds.

This softer rubber outsole means that a slip resistant shoe can more effectively grip a slick floor. This means even on quarry tile or hardwood or linoleum flooring, a slip resistant shoe will be able to grab hold whereas a shoe with a harder, stiffer outsole would not be able to.

SR Max^® Rialto Outsole

Design

Now, you may be wondering about a basketball shoe, designed to work on hardwood courts. Wouldn’t that also grip well on slicker flooring? Yes, if it was dry. But athletic shoes are not tested or designed to work in wet or oily conditions.

If you’ve ever played or watched basketball, you know that when liquid gets on the court, serious injuries can occur due to slippage. The National Basketball Association even employs people whose only job is quickly wipe up sweat and water from the floor to keep it clean.

Nike Basketball Shoes

If you’re using a shoe with an enclosed tread pattern (see above), there is no place for the liquid to go. It gets trapped under your shoe and forms a barrier between your shoe and the floor, similar to a car hydroplaning, sliding on top of the water without getting a grip on the road.

So what’s the solution? Slip resistant shoes feature an interlocked tread pattern that doesn’t close the water in, so that it is channeled away from your foot, allowing the slip resistant sole to contact the floor and provide better slip resistance.

A good slip resistant shoe will also provide more surface contact with the tread pattern. Why? If the tread pattern and outsole material is designed to be slip resistant, it only makes sense that the more of it that comes into contact with the floor the better the shoe will work.

Make sure to visit SRMax.Com and check out all of our different styles of slip resistant shoes that we offer!

What is MaxTrax^®?

At SR Max^®, we talk a lot about MaxTrax^®, our highly effective, patented, slip-resistant shoe outsole. But have you ever wondered what goes into making the sole that Works Where You Work? Well, wonder no more. We want to share a few of the things that make our MaxTrax^® outsole so special.

When SR Max^® first started in 2007, MaxTrax^® had not yet been invented and we carried shoes with slip-resistant outsoles from other companies. In 2008, we decided to change the game by developing and producing the most slip resistant outsole available by:

Developing the overall design of the tread – The exclusive pattern is intended to give the outsole the maximum amount of surface area possible (increasing its contact with the floor for better traction) while still maintaining deep grooves designed to help channel liquids. This specialized groove design, while channeling fluids, allows for an inherent self-cleaning characteristic that keeps the bottom of our shoes cleaner than many other slip resistant shoes (though intermittent manual cleaning by the wearer is still necessary).
A flexible, soft rubber compound outsole – This specific outsole provides more give upon impact, allowing for an enhanced grip and maintaining a better hold with the ground. In our most recent independent Brungrabber Mark II slip resistance testing in greasy, high soil oily/wet, and wet environments, MaxTrax^® proved itself to be a super star of slip resistance. MaxTrax^® far exceeded the Coefficient of Friction (i.e. the measure of slip resistance) necessary to make a safe step in each test. Where other outsoles failed on one type of surface or had COF’s near the mark for slipping on others, SR Max^® alone surpassed the threshold on all surfaces tested.
Partnerships – All SR Max^® brand shoes are made with the MaxTrax^® outsole, but we’ve also partnered up with several other brands to make MaxTrax^® available on select shoes offered exclusively by SR Max^®. Look for the MaxTrax^® logo on many styles we offer from brands such as Skechers, Dansko, Rockport Works, and Reebok.

Interested in getting your own pair of slip-resistant shoes featuring the MaxTrax^® outsole? Check us out online at srmax.com to place an order, contact customer service, or request a catalog.

*Please Note: While our MaxTrax^® outsole is truly in a class of its own, it is important to remember that no shoe is completely slip-proof. This is particularly the case if the sole of the shoe is prevented from making contact with the floor (for example: slipping on a banana peel). Always use caution and take preventative measures when working in slippery environments.

Why Should I Wear Slip Resistant Shoes?

Would you drive without a seatbelt or airbags?

Would you base jump or skydive without the right equipment?

How about ride a motorcycle without a helmet?

If you choose to do these things, you understand the inherent risks involved. But do you understand the risk you take if you don’t wear proper slip resistant shoes to work? You may have no idea of the risk you are taking, and how wearing the right safety shoes can alleviate those risks. Continue reading →

How to Clean Slip Resistant Shoes [Part 1: Upper]

We occasionally get the question, “How do I clean my slip resistant work shoes?” After a recent discussion on Twitter, we decided to break this topic down here on Get a Grip!

To properly maintain your slip resistant shoes, there are two things you must consider: cleaning the upper and cleaning the outsole. A shoe’s “upper” is everything above the sole that covers the sides and top of the foot. This is the majority of the visible part of the shoe. A shoe’s “outsole” is the bottom part of the shoe that touches the floor. This is what makes the shoe slip resistant.

Today’s post will focus on cleaning and caring for a shoe upper. Continue reading →