Ok, let’s start out with the total cost of a mat. For example, a Small 60 sheet mat that costs $42.50 costs:

To get the cost per sheet, just divide the cost of the mat by the number of sheets! So, here we go:
Let’s say we have a 40 sheet mat that costs $30. That seems to be a really great deal! The mat costs $12.50 less than the 60 sheet mat that sells for $42.50. Now let’s analyze to see how good a deal it is.

$30.00/40 sheets = 75¢ per sheet for a 40 sheet mat

Now, how about the 60 sheet that sells for $42.50

$42.50/60 sheets = 71¢ per sheet for a 60 sheet mat

So, is it in fact a good deal? What about our 50 sheet TM1518? That one has an MSRP of $28.50

$28.50/50 sheets = 57¢ per sheet for our 50 sheet mat

What about the materials themselves?

Do the dealers that sell you the Slipp-Nott imitators tell you that they are not really traction mats? Do they tell you that the adhesives are manufactured with overly aggressive adhesives to remove dirt from street shoes with leather bottoms and/or the booties used for entering a laboratory or emergency room? Booties, nurses shoes, street shoes and boots are not the same as athletic shoes with grippy, soft rubber/elastomeric soles.

How do athletic shoe soles differ from street shoes?

Street shoes usually have flat, smooth leather soles. That type of surface presents a flat surface area but is not very flexible so while it is flat and smooth, it is not meant to provide a lot of traction, the wearer usually picks them because they match their dress slacks or in the case of a woman, perhaps because it matches her purse.

Athletic Shoe Sole

To remove particulate from this type of shoe bottom a mat NEEDS a very aggressive adhesive because the hard rubber, plastic or leather soles are usually roughed up from walking on asphalt, concrete and gravel parking lots. These hard soles will tend to have these small particulates embedded into them. Athletic shoes or ‘sneakers’ as we used to call them are usually smooth and made of grippy, rubber soles with wide tread patterns to prevent “hydroplaning” on wet floors. Rubber soles will typically only have surface dust and dirt on the soles as opposed to particles embedded into the sole itself. (One thing to be aware of is that because the athletic shoe soles are somewhat flexible, they should not be worn as ‘street shoes’ that will then be used on hardwood floors because rock and gravel can get lodged inside of the tread pattern and tear up a nice hardwood floor.)

Having extra-strong adhesive feels good so it must be better, right? WRONG!

Think about that. If you have an extra light base made of cheap plastic (PVC or Polypropylene) and area rug padding on the bottom and add to the mix an adhesive mat that has a adhesive sheets with overly aggressive adhesive for you to step on with grippy athletic shoes? What do you get? You can end up stepping on a large, rigid, dangerous decal for the bottom of your shoes because after you get the initial dirt off, that baby won’t want to let go!

The conclusion…rather than saving you might end up with a sports injury

What are you really saving when you buy so called traction mats that are made of materials for completely different purposes? While you might seem to be saving a few dollars if anything, you may also find yourself with trip hazard when you try to walk away from that ‘traction mat’. How will you, your team, your athlete and his parents feel if one of your athlete gets sidelined by trying to save a few ¢ents per sheet?

Give us your thoughts…