Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Scientists studying the physics behind squeaky basketball shoes discovered that rubber blocks with ridges made squeaks at repeatable frequencies. This unexpected discovery led to a squeaky rendition of the Star Wars Imperial March that we hope makes John Williams proud.
Listen to our podcast now to hear the full story: sciencefriday.com/segments/why-sneakers-squeak-basketball-shoes
Footage from Adel Djellouli
Djellouli, A., Albertini, G., Wilt, J. et al. Squeaking at soft–rigid frictional interfaces. Nature 650, 891–897 (2026). doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10132-3
Scientists studying the physics behind squeaky basketball shoes discovered that rubber blocks with ridges made squeaks at repeatable frequencies. This unexpected discovery led to a squeaky rendition of the Star Wars Imperial March that we hope makes John Williams proud.
Listen to our podcast now to hear the full story: sciencefriday.com/segments/why-sneakers-squeak-basketball-shoes
Footage from Adel Djellouli
Djellouli, A., Albertini, G., Wilt, J. et al. Squeaking at soft–rigid frictional interfaces. Nature 650, 891–897 (2026). doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10132-3
