Abstract

Measurements of the coefficient of sliding friction for different leathers over a wide range of loads and various surface conditions have shown that the frictional properties of leathers can be described by an equation of the form:

f = A log W + B

where f is the coefficient of sliding friction and W is the applied load. The constant A takes negative values, meaning that the coefficient of friction decreases as the applied load increases.

This study found that the frictional properties of sole leathers on a metal surface are generally better than those of synthetic soling materials. In particular, leather provides better grip than synthetics when working on wet and oily metal surfaces.