Are you about to buy Vibram soles but confused about whether they will provide the required slip resistance for your daily tasks? Do not worry! I have tested the Vibram soles in different environments, such as ice pathways, muddy conditions, and wet surfaces.
I have shared real-time experience, the results, and my final observation for buying these soles. You can find the details in the blog.
What is a Vibram Sole?
The Vibram soles are top-quality hiking and sports footwear soles known for their high surface friction, traction, and grip. You can use these soles with full confidence on wet, icy, muddy terrains and other surfaces from your bedroom floor to rocky terrains of mountains.
Moreover, these soles are made with 90% natural materials, reducing environmental impacts during manufacturing.
How a Vibram Sole Provides Resistance?
Any shoe sole provides slip resistance due to its design Pattern, the nature of rubber, and its ability to offer friction. The Vibram soles have a rubber chemistry that offers high rubber friction and a broad-ranging design pattern.
It gives enhanced traction and grip. These soles have built-in grip technology such as Mega-Grip for moist surfaces and Arctic Grip for icy walkways. Despite that, the Vibram soles have some slip limitations for polished and oily surfaces.
Practical Slip-Resistance Test for Vibram Soles
To test Vibram sole's slip resistance, I tested them on various slippery conditions, such as wet footpaths on city streets, the smooth tiles of malls, lobbies, or bathrooms, and climbing paths of rain-socked rocks.
I tested them on ice-filled sidewalks of mountains and packed snow trails. Furthermore, I evaluated the Vibram soles on loose dirt, moisturized mud, and uneven terrains.
Also Read: Why Vibram Soles Are the #1 Choice for Hikers & Workers
What Results Do I find?
The Vibram soles offered different results for different kinds of slippery surfaces. These results are here:
◈ Moist Terrains
The Vibram soles give the best results on wet surfaces like street footpaths and lobby marbles. But, they can be slippery on polished grounds such as the wooden surface of your drawing room.
◈ Snowy Walkways
These soles are good for snowy conditions but do not resist slipping on hard ice surfaces.
◈ Muddy Topography
The Vibram soles are best for a landscape with loose dirt and muddy conditions. They offer superior resistance to slippery conditions, making it best for regular hikers.
My Final Observation
The Vibram soles provide traction, grip, and protection from slipping on outdoor terrains and uneven surfaces. However, they found it slippery in distinctive situations such as solid ice layers, kitchen floors with greasy environments, and other surfaces.
You may need additional grip and traction support or alternative shoes for these conditions.
Conclusion
Vibram prefers user safety over all other aspects.Therefore, they make specialized soles with distinctive technologies for various conditions. For example, Arctic Grip Pro and Mega Grip technology for ice walkways and muddy surfaces.
These soles offer slip resistance despite extreme weather conditions. However, the soles have some user limitations, such as for polished and oily surfaces and greasy house marbles. So, you should buy these soles wisely according to your user-ability and work environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Do Vibram soles provide oil and slip resistance?
Due to their superior quality rubber and distinctive design, they provide significant resistance to oil and slipping.
Q2: Where can I find a Vibram Megagrip sole replacement?
The Vibram Megagrip sole replacement is available on the My Shoe Supplies website.
Q3: Are Vibram soles good on ice?
Due to their Arctic Grip technology, the Vibram soles are good on wet ice. However, you need additional traction support on a solid ice surface.
Q4: How can I make the Vibram soles less slippery?
Make the Vibram soles less slippery to temporarily increase their traction with grip pads or hairspray. Moreover, you can increase the surface hardening with sandpaper.
Q5: What are the disadvantages of Vibram soles?
They can be hard initially and may need a longer break-in period than other soles.
