Glass-Embedded Sole Performs Better on Ice

Mar-20-15 A new non-slip shoe sole alternative that features a glass-embedded sole offers much better traction on ice than rubber or spikes.

The sole design was based on the knowledge that rubber does not perform well as a non-slip surface when ice is near its melting point. The team created the new non-slip soles by embedding glass fibers in slabs of thermoplastic polyurethane and then cutting the slabs "across the grain" of the glass fibers, allowing the ends of the glass to poke through and function as micro-studs. At the same time, the flexible polyurethane material performs well on dry, non-icy surfaces.

In tests, the new glass-studded shoes performed much better on icy surfaces than conventional materials.

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[ENGADGET.COM]
[SCITATION.AIP.ORG]

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