The plans call for aluminum foot slide protectors. Because I added (2) batteries aft of the CG I need to off-set the weight forward of the CG. I weigh 175 lbs. and can install the aux. fuel tank. This means I need to add weight fwd. in the ship. Chose .035 stainless steel for its excellent wear resistance and weight. Not the easeist material to work with, but esthetically and functionally pleasing.