Surface roughness has been shown to have substantial effects on the slip resistance between shoe heels and floor surfaces under various types of walking environments. This paper summarizes comprehensive views of the current understanding on the roles of surface roughness on the shoe and floor surfaces in the measurement of slipperiness and discusses promising directions for future research. Various techniques and instruments for surface roughness measurements and related roughness parameters are reviewed in depth. It is suggested that a stylus-type profilometer and a laser scanning confocal microscope are the preferred instruments for surface roughness measurements in the field and laboratory, respectively. The need for developing enhanced methods for reliably characterizing the slip resistance properties is highlighted. This could be based on the principal understanding of the nature of shoe and floor interface and surface analysis techniques for characterizing both surfaces of shoe and floor. Therefore, surface roughness on both shoe and floor surfaces should be measured and combined to arrive at the final assessment of slipperiness. While controversies around the friction measurement for slipperiness assessment still remain, surface roughness measurement may provide an objective alternative to overcoming the limitations of friction measurements.

Slips, trips and falls are one of the most common causes of injuries and fatalities in the general community and industry. The control of such incidents involves a complex array of factors including the characteristics of each individual's footwear and gait dynamics, walking and working surfaces, and environmental conditions. Notwithstanding this complexity, slip resistance properties have been widely measured as a form of coefficient of friction (COF) index at the sliding interface between the shoes and floors. Since the COF measurements were commonly adopted to evaluate slip potentials, it has been found that there were controversies in the interpretation of COF measurement results. This study, therefore, was principally focused on broadening the knowledge base and developing new ideas on which improvements in the validity and reliability of slip resistance measurements might be made. To achieve this goal, crucial problems on the current concept of slip resistance measurement were extensively analysed by a tribological point of view where principle understanding of the shoe-floor friction and wear phenomena could be made. Based on this approach, new theoretical models were suggested.