I used rubber bath mats (with suction cups) from Walmart (?? brand Life-Sense or something) under my pool steps (Lumi-O Festiva) last season...my first. They were quite cheap....around $6 each ... 28" x 16" I think; I needed three, two on each side and one at the front. I liked them because the cups were fairly soft and they stayed well put, but as the season progressed I was plagued with green algae growing on the mat surface (none underneath) on the inside of the steps. Ended up having to take them out every day and clean them. Seems the natural rubber they were made of was not up to the pool chlorine; each time I took them out they would leach milky white dissolved rubber and by the end of the season they had all but disintegrated.
Yeah, they were like these (maybe the same under different brand name):
http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/elephant-sk ... 3Abath+mat
This year I found some all-vinyl bath mats at Home Depot. A tad larger (30" x 16") but I still needed three. They smell like skunk (seriously) but I'm hoping they will do a better job.
I get the Heavy Duty one's.They are clear&thick.They are the best..I'm on my 3-4 the season now..No problem's.The first yr I tried the cheaper one's.No good..The main thing is you want to use has little if the mat has possible.I cut 2 strip's about 6in. wide & the length if it..Just under both sides of my step's.
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/vinyl-bath-mat/967654