a surface
Static friction acts on objects when they are resting on a surface. For example, if you are hiking in the woods, there is static friction between your shoes and the trail each time you put down your foot see Figure below . Without this static friction, your feet would slip out from under you, making it difficult to walk. In fact, thats exactly what happens if you try to walk on ice. Thats because ice is very slippery and offers very little friction.