The secret of squeaky basketball shoes

Nature News · Feb 25, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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NEWS AND VIEWS 25 February 2026 When shoes slide across a floor, wave-like deformations of the sole can generate squeaking. The pitch of the squeak depends on the rate at which deformations are generated. Basketball players often sense the movements of teammates and opponents not only by sight but also by the sharp squeaks that their shoes make on the polished court. These familiar sounds arise from rapid, subtle dynamics at the shoe–floor interface that are invisible to the naked eye. Writing in Nature, Djellouli et al.1 report high-speed optical-imaging experiments showing that the squeaking originates from wave-like deformations of the shoe sole. These waves sweep across its interface with the floor at velocities approaching 300 kilometres per hour. They lift the shoe out of contact at spatially localized points as they sweep past, enabling it to slide across the floor. The repetition rate of the waves moving across the shoe is set by the stiffness and thickness of the shoe sole and directly matches the frequency of the emitted sound. Access options Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription 27,99 € / 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access 185,98 € per year only 3,65 € per issue Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from$1.95 to$39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Additional access options: Log in Learn about institutional subscriptions Read our FAQs Contact customer support Nature 650, 841-842 (2026) doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00295-4 ReferencesDjellouli, A. et al. Nature 650, 891–897 (2026).Article Google Scholar Carpick, R. W. Science 359, 38 (2018).Article PubMed Google Scholar Aghababaei, R., Warner, D. H. & Molinari, J.-F. Nature Commun. 7, 11816 (2016).Article PubMed Google Scholar Gotsmann, B. & Lantz, M. A. Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 125501 (2008).Article PubMed Google Scholar Holmberg, K. & Erdemir, A. Friction 5, 263–284 (2017).Article Google Scholar Grosjean, G. & Waitukaitis, S. Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 098202 (2023).Article PubMed Google Scholar Jimidar, I. & Méndez Harper, J. Phys. Today https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.aysx.thdp (2025).Article Google Scholar Download references Competing Interests The author declares no competing interests. Related Articles Read the paper: Squeaking at soft–rigid frictional interfaces Ultrasound-driven artificial muscles can grasp, flex and swim Self-powered vibration sensor for wearable health care and voice detection See all News & Views Subjects Latest on: Materials science Engineering Applied physics Light-confining device can control superconductivity — even in the dark News & Views 25 FEB 26 Sea-urchin spines generate electrical signals in flowing water News & Views 25 FEB 26 Uncovering origins of heterogeneous superconductivity in La3Ni2O7 Article 25 FEB 26 Pancreatic-targeted lipid nanoparticles based on organ capsule filtration Article 25 FEB 26 Squeaking at soft–rigid frictional interfaces Article 25 FEB 26 Pivoting colloidal assemblies exhibit mechanical metamaterial behaviour Article 25 FEB 26 Squeaking at soft–rigid frictional interfaces Article 25 FEB 26 Why do curling stones slide across ice the way they do? News 20 FEB 26 Spin-wave band-pass filters for 6G communication Article 04 FEB 26