Frequently Asked Questions

The Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat traction system is made up of the base and the mat. The base is made of modified Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Terpolymer (A.B.S), and it is bonded to a ribbed rubber backing which protects the floor and holds the base in place. The Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat Refill Replacement Sheet is the replaceable set of sheets which is attached, as a set, to the base. These sheets are clear and are individually treated with a water based acrylic material, specially formulated for the Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat and engineered NOT to transfer adhesive to the shoe. Each used sheet is peeled off from the mat to expose a new, clean sheet.

Many sports are played at high speed and require quick starts, stops and cuts by an athlete. These sports are generally played in indoor arenas on waxed and sometimes dusty floors. The indoor floors are always smooth but can be synthetic, linoleum or hardwood. Wax, dust or dirt usually adheres to the bottom of the athlete's shoes limiting or interfering with his ability to execute these quick and sharp maneuvers. ANYTHING between the sole of the athletic shoe and the floor affects the traction necessary to make their maneuvers. Dust and dirt on shoe soles will reduce traction. Foreign substances, like water, saliva, palm perspiration or chemical additives can increase or decrease traction depending on the amount and location on the shoe sole. It is not unusual to see a player wiping the sole of his shoes with his hands in an attempt to remove wax and dirt buildup. If you use high quality athletic shoes, CLEANING THE SHOE SOLE is the ONLY WAY to achieve a reliable, repeatable level of traction. Cleaning, reliable, repeatable and traction are the key words in that statement. When athletes know what to expect from a product they can count on and add it to the arsenal of weapons they need to be their best.

The principle behind Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat is deceptively simple yet surprisingly efficient. A stack of specially developed adhesive polyethylene sheets remove dust and dirt from athletic shoe soles. All an athlete needs to do is walk across the Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat adhesive sheet, by doing so, their shoe soles are cleaned by the exposed adhesive on the top sheet. The dust, dirt and wax that normally live on the shoe bottoms is quickly and easily removed by the Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat adhesive. Instead of having more and more dust and dirt accumulate on the shoe soles every-time the athlete starts, stops, turn, cuts, shakes or bakes, athletes maintain a clean shoe sole surface by periodically walking on the Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat adhesive sheet. In essence, athletes are cleaning the floor when they use the Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat by picking up dust and dirt from other parts of the court and depositing it on the Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat. When the top sheet is covered with dirt, it should be peeled off and discarded. Sheets can be recycled.

The simple answer is that anyone who wants or needs to perform better when participating in indoor sports can benefit from Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat. This is true not only for athletes but referees and cheerleading squads. Anyone who needs to walk on the playing surface should be doing so with clean shoes.

At times, particles will stick tenaciously to your shoe soles (these particles stick to you like a cheap suit in the rain!). Other particles just hitch a ride on your shoe and then jump off somewhere else on the court (think of these particles like hitchhikers that are using you to move around the court). Both types of particles should and are removed by the Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat. Just keep in mind that anything other than rubber between you and the floor is robbing you of precious traction and increasing the likelihood of injury.

Traction and safety go hand in hand. Traction allows you to be creative and aggressive and above all safe. Lack of traction leads to unsafe, poorly executed and tentative play by athletes. Although not always conscious that they are playing tentatively and slowly on slippery floors, it is obvious that all athletes play harder, faster and more aggressively when they know that they are in control of their moves. Imagine trying to run a figure 8 in nice squeaky clean sneakers/athletic shoes. Now think about the torture of trying that same figure 8 in your socks. Have you ever described a gym as "It was like we were on a skating rink"? Were you happy or sad to have to play under those conditions? The highest paid athletes in the world, including professional basketball teams here and abroad use Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat for better traction. If you are not using Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat, you can only hope to be lucky and get traction at your next game. Teams and coaches that want to win MAKE THEIR OWN LUCK!

Almost all indoor sports that require movement on the the floor. Sports such as: Basketball, Team Handball, Volleyball, Aerobics, Stretching. Racquetball, Squash Table Tennis, Badminton, Cheerleading, Pep Squads, Spirit clubs Floor exercises, Health clubs

Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat currently comes in four (4) different sizes. The smallest is the personal size Mini Mat. Base is 9.5" x 15.5", the mats are 9" x 12.75" with 30 sheets each. The next size up is the most popular Small Set: SS60 - Base is 18" x 19", the mats are 15" x 18" with 60 sheets each. The medium size is the the Trac Mate Set: TMS - Base is 17.5" x 24", the mats are 14" x 23" with 50 sheets each. The largest size is appropriately called the Large Set: LS60 - Base is 28" x 29", the mats are 26" x 26" with 60 sheets each.

Average usage of mats per basketball game is: 3 to 6 sheets for the SS60. 2 to 5 sheets for the Trac Mate. 2 to 4 sheets for the LS60. We have only estimated for usage for basketball games because the length of the game is determined by set time periods unlike volleyball and individual sports like racquetball and table tennis.

You can probably guess which size would be good for individual sports but it might not be as obvious if you are a trying to figure out the best size for a team. For teams we suggest the following: Small sets travel easily and are best suited for away games. Trac Mates are the middle size and can serve equally well for home and away games. Trac Mates are especially good for use on courts with narrow sidelines. For home Basketball games and facilities that host tournaments and sporting events - the Large set is the best choice as long as your sideline is big enough.

Extra mats have to be stored flat, at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. Under no circumstance should mats be stood on edge. Standing mats on their edge will ruin them in less than hour! For detailed mat storage instructions click here.

Yes, you certainly can. Customized Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat are available in 3 flavors: The smallest is the personal size Mini Mat. Base is 9.5" x 15.5", the mats are 9" x 12.75" with 30 sheets each. Semi Custom - you design your own X base with your team name. You choose the background color, the X outline color, X fill color and the text color. Full Custom with your team logo. Full Custom Plus - with logos other than your school, team or organization. This category of custom is for schools, universities, pro teams or organizations that seek to afford additional exposure to sponsors, affiliates or strategic partners.

Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat offers steep discounts on blemished mats; pre-season or volume purchase savings. Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat is in the process of setting up a "Sports Appreciation" Program. The program will provide discounted products to teams and athletes who share their positive, sports related experiences with the rest of us. Details will be posted on our "What's New" page.

The Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat was introduced to Pro basketball teams at the end of 1987 and has been purchased by 28 of the 29 Pro teams and recognized as the Official Traction Mat by the sports industry (see our reviews). Slipp-Nott Basketball Sticky Mat has built up its reputation and recognition as a result of its product quality and performance.