ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic increased people's time at home and caused an 80% increase in noise disputes between floors. The purpose of this study is to propose suitable materials for making indoor shoes (insoles) to minimize noise between floors. Subjects without back pain and leg-related disease (e.g. arthritis, etc.) from three different age groups (childhood, adolescence, and adulthood) were recruited for the study. Five polymer insole materials were considered: Chloroprene Rubber (CR foam), Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM foam), Natural Latex foam, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA foam), and Polyurethane (PU foam). From these materials, 20 combinations were prepared and randomly tested for noise and vibration. The results revealed a significant difference in noise and vibration levels based on the type of material used and the age of the subject. Nevertheless, all materials under consideration successfully reduced noise and vibration;in particular, type A-C greatly decreased. The CR foam material was especially effective at noise and vibration reduction (p<.01). This study suggests that adding insoles into socks that children wear at home could reduce noise vibration and disputes between floors. © 2023, The Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles. All rights reserved.