Falls and subsequent complications are major contributors to morbidity and mortality, especially in older adults. Here, by taking inspiration from claws and scales found in nature, we show that buckling kirigami structures applied to footwear outsoles generate higher friction forces in the forefoot and transversally to the direction of movement. We identified optimal kirigami designs capable of modulating friction for a range of surfaces, including ice, by evaluating the performance of the dynamic kirigami outsoles through numerical simulations and in vitro friction testing, as well as via human-gait force-plate measurements. We anticipate that lightweight kirigami metasurfaces applied to footwear outsoles could help mitigate the risk of slips and falls in a range of environments.

跌倒和随后的并发症是发病率和死亡率的主要原因，尤其是在老年人中。在这里，通过从自然界中发现的爪和鳞片中汲取灵感，我们发现，应用于鞋类外底的屈曲折纸结构会在前脚掌和运动方向上产生更大的摩擦力。我们通过数值模拟和体外摩擦测试以及人体步态测力板评估来评估动态kirigami外底的性能，从而确定了能够在包括冰在内的一系列表面上调节摩擦力的最佳kirigami设计。我们预计将轻质的kirigami metasurfaces应用于鞋类外底可以帮助减轻在各种环境中滑倒的风险。