We are constantly updating our list of footwear being tested because we are always testing new footwear! Check back frequently to see if your footwear makes the list! Or feel free to email us with footwear you’d like to see tested at ratemytreads@uhn.ca .
If you're interested in volunteering with us, we have a volunteer pool you can join! Please contact ratemytreads@uhn.ca for more information.
Cold Ice is just the ice as we know it, frozen water. The entire floor of the WinterLab is a big frozen ice block that is dry to the touch; like an ice rink. Wet Ice on the other hand has a very thin layer of water on top and when you touch it, your finger will get wet. We use both these surfaces in order to test footwear performance in different types of winter conditions.
Currently, we do not test on snow covered surfaces. However, in future years, we hope to include snow as one of the surfaces we test on.
We don't claim that you will never slip and fall wearing footwear that are highly rated on the website, only that your risk for falling and slipping is greatly reduced. Proper precautions should still be taken when walking on icy and slippery surfaces.
At the moment we only test brand new, unworn footwear. We have not yet studied the effect of wear on footwear over time but intend to do that in the future.
If footwear has a high score on the website then it reached a high angle on our MAA test. Being able to walk up and down higher angles also means walking on level ground is safer.
We are based in Canada and footwear that are currently on the website are available in Canada. Please check the footwear’s respective website to see if it’s available in your country.
We are constantly testing new footwear and are working hard to include footwear from around the world. Check the list often to see if your footwear makes the list! Or if you want to see specific footwear tested, feel free to send us an email at ratemytreads@uhn.ca.
The SnowFlake Rating ❄️ and WaterDrop Rating 💧 both use our MAA (Maximum Achievable Angle) method to evaluate footwear slip resistance, but they are designed for different walking conditions.
- ❄️ SnowFlake Rating: Measures footwear slip resistance on ice, including cold and wet ice conditions, to help you identify footwear with better grip during winter walking.
- 💧 WaterDrop Rating: Measures footwear slip resistance on dry and water-contaminated tile surfaces to help you identify footwear with better grip on wet floors.
In simple terms, SnowFlake tells you how well footwear grips on ice, while WaterDrop tells you how well it grips on wet surfaces. A footwear model may perform well in one condition and differently in another, so the two ratings provide complementary information about slip resistance.
Not necessarily. The SnowFlake Rating ❄️ measures footwear slip resistance on ice, including cold and wet ice conditions. It does not measure slip resistance on water-contaminated floors.
For information about how footwear performs on wet surfaces, look for the WaterDrop Rating 💧, which evaluates footwear slip resistance on water-contaminated tile surfaces.
In other words, SnowFlake = grip on ice; WaterDrop = grip on wet surfaces. A footwear model may perform differently under these two conditions.
Not necessarily. The WaterDrop Rating 💧 measures footwear slip resistance on water-contaminated tile surfaces. It does not measure slip resistance on ice.
For information about how footwear performs on icy surfaces, look for the SnowFlake Rating ❄️, which evaluates footwear on cold and wet ice.
In other words, WaterDrop = grip on wet surfaces; SnowFlake = grip on ice. A footwear model may perform differently under these two conditions.
A Dry Surface is a tile surface with no water present on the walking surface. The tile is clean and dry to the touch, similar to a typical indoor floor.
A Wet Surface has a controlled layer of water applied to the tile surface. The water creates a water-contaminated surface that can reduce the grip between the footwear and the tile.
We use both dry and wet surfaces in RampLab to evaluate footwear slip resistance under different conditions. The WaterDrop Rating mainly evaluates footwear performance on water-contaminated surfaces, helping you identify footwear with better grip when walking on wet floors.