Selecting slip resistant winter footwear for personal support workers.

The survey was distributed by email and at a conference, and the paper does not describe random selection of personal support workers. The footwear models were chosen from survey results and availability, and the authors could not confirm that personal support workers would actually buy these models. Only a small number of participants tested the footwear: one for screening and up to three additional participants for models that passed. The test accuracy is ±1°, and four recommended pairs were at the 7° threshold, so more participants could move them below the cutoff. Some best-performing footwear showed decreased slip resistance after as little as 100,000 steps, and the study did not establish replacement timing. Footwear performance may change between the same models from one year to the next if the manufacturing process is altered. The study did not test whether wearing these boots reduces falls in patients; it tested worker footwear and surveyed workers.

All authors declared no conflict of interest with footwear manufacturers or retailers. The team does enter into fee-for-service contracts with footwear manufacturers and retailers for slip resistance testing. The footwear used in this study was purchased, and the testing was funded by agencies listed in the acknowledgements.

Do not read the six recommended models as proof that winter footwear prevents falls in your patients. The study tested footwear for personal support workers in a lab and surveyed workers, not patient fall outcomes.