Abstract: A disk drive slider is designed to make contact, if any, in a region of the slider which does not have a substantial effect on the fly height. Preferably, the slider utilizes a tapered center rail having a narrow tail which is closest to the disk and a pair of outside rails which are wider at the leading edge. The center rail tapers from a narrow leading edge to a wider support region and then tapers to a narrow trailing edge. The trailing edge is closest to the disk and provides virtually no contribution to aerodynamic support of the slider. Since the trailing edge does not contribute to the support of the slider, any contact induced wear can be tolerated without affecting the fly height. Even further, the wear characteristic is self-limiting. That is, after the initial wear has taken place, the likelihood of further wear is reduced.