Described herein are sliders and data storage devices that promote particle mobility to improve particle robustness. In some embodiments, a data storage device includes a recording medium and a slider. A surface of the slider air-bearing surface near the leading edge includes at least one roughening feature that causes the surface to be rougher than other surfaces of the slider to promote particle mobility. The roughening feature may include a regular or irregular pattern, and it may be created using a photoresist mask during the manufacturing process so that the surface is deliberately made rougher (e.g., has a higher friction coefficient) than the surface of a leading pad of the slider.