Restaurants, manufacturing plants, health care facilities, construction sites, theme parks, hotels, convenience stores and numerous other businesses understand the benefits of slip-resistant shoes. Employers can outfit employees or point them towards reputable providers of slip-resistant work shoes at reasonable prices.

Employers lose money every year when about 300,000 employees slip and fall. Almost 20% of all workers' compensation costs come from those injuries that also result in over a thousand worker deaths annually. While searching for non-slip shoes, remember the following:

1. Only buy slip-resistant shoes online that meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards for safety.

2. Depending on how the shoes are worn and the surfaces they're worn on, expect non-slip shoes to last anywhere from six months to more than six years.

3. Just like tires, make sure your employees replace their slip-resistant shoes when the tread depth wears down.

Action Steps
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Examine pricing and costs of slip-resistant shoes for food service/ manufacturing/medical environs

Buy brand names you trust to ensure the best value for your money; some of the more popular makers of slip resistant shoes include Shoes for Crews ($25 to $70), Skechers ($40 to $80), Dr. Martens ($80 to $125), SkidBuster ($50 to $65) and Standing Comfort ($50 to $130).

I recommend: Check out the slip-resistant shoe selections at Work Shoe City and HealthyFeetStore.com. The Uniform Connection carries several name brands for shoes for medical professionals.

Price clogs for your employees' next no-slip shoes

Clogs offer great looks, comfort and convenience in different work environments. When you buy non-slip shoes online, expect to pay $30 to $45 for Crocs, $25 to $45 for SFC Froggz and around $100 for Dansko.

I recommend: For clogs worn in a medical environment, take a look at AllHeart.com, a medical apparel and accessories provider. Order leather, slip resistant clogs from HealthyShoeStore.com and chefs' clogs from Most Comfortable Shoes.

Make boots your employees' official slip-resistant work shoes

Whether your employees work in a construction or manufacturing environment, slip-resistant boots with steel toes, metatarsal guards and other protections make a valuable investment. Look for slip-resistant boots from Dickies (around $70), Bates ($85 to $150) and Hytest (around $200).

I recommend: You'll find Bates, Doc Martens, Wolverine and many other brands at safeshoes.com. Shop for Durango, Wolverine, Timberland and other popular brands at BootBarn.com.

Look for value-added services from suppliers of slip resistant shoes

Get more for the money you pay for quality non slip shoes by finding suppliers and distributors for slip-resistant shoes that offer services like a mobile shoe service, accepting payroll deductions or even assistance with medical costs when an employee is injured while wearing a particular model of shoe.

I recommend: SR Max provides a mobile shoe service throughout most of the country for buyers who plan to buy in bulk, so you can see what you're getting without having to go anywhere. While at the website, look more into the details of the SR Max limited indemnity offer. Essentially, the company will reimburse companies participating in its SR Max Direct Employer Billing Plan for direct medical expenses when an employee slips and falls while wearing SR Max shoes that only cost around $50 a pair. Keuka Cafe Footwear offers a similar program for companies that purchase Keuka footwear purchased through payroll deduction or a 100% subsidized company purchase. Register with RestaurantShoes.com, a licensed reseller of SkidBuster Footwear, to take advantage of reduced prices, access to payroll deduction forms, custom-made order forms, periodic reports on employee purchases and same-day shipping for shoes costing between $45 and $65.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you operate a manufacturing plant or even a restaurant, you may periodically provide guided tours through your facility to local business leaders, students or community leaders. If you already plan to buy slip-resistant shoes online, consider investing in several pairs of inexpensive slip-resistant overshoes in different sizes to offer someone who shows up without the proper footwear.

Water, ice and slippery surfaces can all make work dangerous without slip-resistant shoes and boots. Whether you work in the construction industry, medical field or agriculture, you need non-slip shoes to help you accomplish your tasks with ease.

Slip-resistant shoes and boots have a number of benefits over regular shoes.

1. Slip resistant work shoes offer greater traction in slippery conditions.
2. They give weather resistant protection for wet and cold conditions.
3. Slip-resistant shoes keep your feet warm and comfortable.
4. Non-slip shoes and boots stand up to tough working conditions with durability.

Slip-resistant shoes and boots come in a wide range of attractive, useful styles. Before you suffer from a fall, wet feet or other slip related injury, look into the non-slip shoes and boots available.

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Purchase non-slip shoes that offer good support

Although you need good traction, you also need shoes or boots that give your feet and body good support and comfort. Without good support, you may suffer from foot, knee or leg pain. Good arch and heel support as well as adequate padding for your feet is important to the health of your feet, so don't neglect this aspect.

I recommend: Danner builds work boots with the input of individuals from fields like the military, construction and other outdoor work. Wolverine also creates work boots especially for tough, slippery conditions. Try Georgia Boot and Red Wing Shoes as well.

Consider the conditions that you need your slip-resistant shoes to work in

The best traction is only good if the rest of the shoe fits your working conditions, whether those are on a construction site, in the emergency room or delivering the mail.

I recommend: Vanderbilt’s sells non-slip shoes and boots with steel toes, fire resistance and waterproof material. Zappos has a wide range of slip-resistant shoes for many different conditions. Shoes for Crews has shoes for almost any working condition, including great styles for hospital and restaurant employees.

Buy attractive slip resistant work shoes

Just because your shoes need to fulfill a function doesn't mean that they have to be ugly. You can find stylish, attractive options with non-slip soles for most shoe and boot options. Check out the different color, material and style options to make a statement with your shoes.

I recommend: SR Max has many different non-slip shoe styles to choose from. You can also purchase one of the Skechers styles

Add extra traction to slip-resistant work shoes

If you find that your non-slip shoes need a little extra traction in very slippery conditions, you can add slip on products that fit over your shoes and give you added traction. These products will fit over both regular and work shoes, but they provide extra traction on ice and extreme slippery surfaces.

I recommend: YakTrax has a traction system that will keep you walking safely on snow and ice. They fit over your regular shoes and boots so you can put them on during extreme conditions and take them off when the conditions have improved. Try the Great Outdoors Depot for ice traction devices that slip on over your non-slip shoes and boots. National Scrub Shoe Covers will keep doctors, nurses and other medical professionals safe in trying conditions.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The right socks will also make your non-slip shoes more comfortable. If you're working outdoors, you want a warm sock that isn't bulky and that doesn't create friction on your foot. Try a wool sock or one made from a synthetic material that whisks wetness away from your foot.
• •  Always try on work shoes that you're not familiar with. Even if you order online, look for local sources of the shoe to make sure that they fit well.

Making the most of slip-resistant shoes means you need to understand what makes them slip resistant, how shoes are tested, but most importantly what type shoes are available. To prevent slip-and-fall accidents, every employer dealing with increased risks for falls, spills and/or wet/slick floors should mandate the wear of no-slip shoes. While no slip-resistant shoe can claim 100% effectiveness, specific criteria will definitely help point you in the right direction when looking for the most effective footwear for your employees.

Industries that frequently encounter hazards that warrant finding trusted distributors of slip-resistant shoes include food service/ restaurants/fast food, manufacturing, health care, construction, automotive, theme parks and hotels/hospitality. As you research and collect more information about slip-resistant shoes, keep the following in mind:

1. Go to trusted suppliers of slip resistant shoes to help avoid becoming part of the statistic that 15 to 20% of all workers' compensation costs come from slips, trips and falls.

2. Same-level slips/falls cost private industry more than $5 billion annually in direct costs alone, a figure that provides ample justification for investing in slip-resistant shoes.

3. The right no-slip shoes will help you avoid the average slip-and-fall injury costs of nearly $7,000 in lost compensation and medical costs.

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Check the features and technology of non-slip shoes before buying

The two features you should examine before you buy slip-resistant shoes online are the rubber compound outsole tread's space/depth and shape/design. Your shoes should maintain at least two millimeters space between the individual tread shapes and three millimeters of depth between the shoe's sole and the bottom of the tread. Non slip shoes will eventually lose their effectiveness when the tread wears thin, so employees should check soles frequently for excessive wear.

I recommend: Check out the video clip for animated discussion that addresses the technology behind the company's popular brand of shoes at Shoes For Crews. If your employees wear work boots every day, learn more about the technology behind Wolverine slip-resistant boots at Vanderbilt's.

Understand the testing performed on all slip-resistant shoes

Testing on slip-resistant shoes concentrates primarily on the coefficient of friction (COF) between different types of floor surfaces and shoe soles. Look for Brungraber Mark II test ratings advertised along with most no slip shoes. While not set in stone as a perfect coefficient, .40 or greater with the Brungraber Mark II test satisfies many as acceptable for slip-resistant shoes in many settings. The Mark II test ratings range from 0.0 (very poor) to 1.0 (extremely slip resistant).

I recommend: Learn more about the history and complexities of slip-resistant testing from websites like SR Max and the rationale paper for slip-resistance threshold titled "Should the Threshold of Safety Be .50?" View a good example of what test ratings look like for a particular shoe at Kingston McKnight Shoes.

Find a supplier of slip-resistant shoes that carries a line to match your needs

To ensure you and your employees get the right shoes, work with providers of slip-resistant work shoes that specialize in them. Makers of slip resistant shoes don't create all footwear with the same levels of protection. For example, a shoe that works well on petroleum oil might not work as well on cooking grease, and a shoe that performs effectively on water will not necessarily perform the same way on a greasy or soapy floor. If you don't see the ratings along with shoe descriptions, ask the company about them before you buy.

I recommend: Find the name-brand slip resistant shoes you need at 504 Chef, Saf-Gard and Lehigh Safety Shoes

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you haven't already, work with your legal counsel to institute a mandate for slip-resistant shoes at your workplace as part of your safety program. It will protect you, your employees and your company.

The slip resistant shoe can be purchased in several styles for different jobs. Whether you are a nurse, machine operator, electrician or waiter, there is a slip resistant shoe designed to meet your needs.

It's important to find the right tread depth and outsole pattern that meets your working needs. Get a basic understanding of the key terms associated with slip resistant shoes and you'll be on your way to finding the right fit.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Tread depth

Tread depth in a slip resistant shoe is one of the most important characteristics to consider. Tread depth refers to the depth of the tread on the under side of the shoe measured from the sole to the edge of the slip resistant material. Similarly to wheels, the tread depth will wear and become ineffective.

I recommend: Read the explanation of tread depth at Occupational Heath and Safety. The website also gives proper depth measurements and explains how tread affects slip resistant shoes.

Overshoe

The overshoe is simply a secondary shoe placed over your usual work shoe. The cover-up shoe can be created to be slip-resistant so you don't have to worry about finding a special shoe that is slip resistant.

I recommend: Review the description and an example of a slip-resistant overshoe at SafeShoes.

Outsole pattern

The term outsole pattern means simply the design of the tread on the underside of the shoe. This pattern of tread is what creates the slip resistant aspect of any non-skid shoe. Patterns create barriers and help grip the ground.

I recommend: Read the definition of outsole pattern at Shoes for Crews. The website also explains how different outsole patterns work in different work environments.

Brungraber Mark-II test

The Brungraber Mark-II test is a safety test designed to test the resistance a material, such as that on a slip resistant shoe, has against slipping in different situations. Many slip resistant shoes have a Brungraber Mark-II rating that explains how they fared in the test.

I recommend: SafetyBiz explains how the Brungraber test was designed and how it is used to test slip resistance.

Fall indemnity program

A fall indemnity program is a program offered by some manufacturers of slip-resistant work shoes to protect employers in the case of accidental slipping that occurred with the use of the shoes. Programs provide an insurance-like policy to cover any injuries an employee has from slipping. A manufacturer uses a fall indemnity program as a guarantee of their product's effectiveness.

I recommend: The fall indemnity program is explained at the SRMax website.

Steel toe

A steel toe shoe is one with a steel insert in the toe area of the shoe to prevent injury to the foot. A worker can drop a heavy object on his foot without worrying about crushing his toes because the steel holds strong and protects the foot. These shoes are available in slip resistant form as well.

I recommend: Review the example and definition of the steel toe shoe at BlueCollarWorkwear. The supplier explains the benefit of this shoe and sells the steel toe shoe and others.