Why the Top of Your Shoes Get Soaked When Walking on a Wet Floor

By Alex in Fashion, Science & Tech on Apr 9, 2009 at 8:46 am

After having solved all of the world’s problems like cancer and global warming, scientists turn their attention to the vexing problem of why the top of your shoes get soaked when walking on a wet pavement:

The team used a high-speed video camera to film a person walking on a wet floor. The footage (see above) reveals how water is flung up from the ground, along the sole, and onto the top of the shoe.

The researchers calculated that shoes flick up about a pint of water after walking 20 kilometres on a damp day.

Link (with video clip and a clever animation of the process)

Tags: shoes, wet

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Gauldar
Apr 9th, 2009 at 9:03 am
I’m sure Nike or whatever company that paid for this is now researching and developing the shoe which never flicks water onto your shoes for a better tommarow. Yeah, you’ll still be at risk of getting cancer but now you can’t complain about soggy shoes anymore.
Foreigner1
Apr 9th, 2009 at 9:16 am
This is one piece of reseach that truly sets my mind at ease.
People of the world, sleep softly. Dream the dream of the innocent and the protected- The world is safe, at peace and all well.
It cannot be otherwise if researchers take time and resources to solve this kind of problems….
Gail Pink
Apr 9th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Excuse me, but “duh.”
NoNameNJ
Apr 9th, 2009 at 10:04 am
This doesn’t happen to me. I guess I don’t kick my feet out enough.
joe
Apr 9th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Believe it or not, some of us conducted this research and arrived at the same conclusion long ago (>50 years ago, in my case). We used an esoteric method called looking down.
Foreigner1
Apr 9th, 2009 at 10:29 am
So it was you who back then already saved the world Joe!
Hail Joe!!!
stilledlife
Apr 9th, 2009 at 10:49 am
kent state. I’m so proud of my school for figuring this one out haha.
iIt is the 2nd most over cast location in the USA, we get a lot of rain- so of course we’d figure this one out! that and why hamsters are such lushes.
SenorMysterioso
Apr 9th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
anyone thats ever looked down at their feet could have told you this
K!P
Apr 9th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
yeah point and lauch at the research, but maybe years later they notice particales of the shoes material are dangerous when dissolved in water. Sure nice to know how it gets wet than
Skipweasel
Apr 9th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
For about three years I’ve been trying to perfect a way of walking that doesn’t do this. As yet, the ministry hasn’t approved it, saying it’s too similar to some other walk.
Lvcivs
Apr 9th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
“The effect is lessened if a person is walking slowly, but shoes designed with car tyre treads on the soles would solve the problem by draining water away before it can be flung upwards, they say.”

Nice to meet you,

Adidas Jerez
Jigore
Apr 9th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
thank science
Christophe
Apr 9th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
anyone thats ever looked down at their feet, while running in the water, could have told you this.
Duh.
annalee
Apr 10th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
ah…Brickenstocks…or more commonly called “rock-in-shoe” explained this water throwing thing. 10 minute walk in them produces 2-4 stops to remove stone or pebble that was thrown there by the sole. If your good you can get the stone out while walking and not missing a stride.
ted
Apr 12th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
The Ministry of Silly Walks, skipweasel?

This makes me think of bathroom floors, for some reason.

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