OPTIMAL FRICTIONAL PROPERTIES FOR SPORT SHOES AND SPORT SURFACES

Abstract

The rigors of sport require sufficient friction between the sole of the shoe and the surface to provide sure footing for the player. When the sole of a sport shoe and a surface come in contact with one another two main types of friction determine how easy it will be for relative movement to occur between the two. Translational friction determines how much horizontal force will be needed to cause the shoe to slide over the surface. Rotational friction determines how much force must be applied as a moment of force to cause the shoe to pivot on the surface. Both types have relevance in a discussion of the role of friction in sports. And, it appears, both are related.