The superior material properties of beta-keratin along with the hierarchical high-aspect-ratio structure of geckos' foot pad have enabled geckos to stick readily and rapidly to almost any surfaces in both dry and wet conditions. In this research, nonsticky fluoropolymer (Teflon AF) resembling beta-keratin rigidity and having an extremely low surface energy and dielectric constant was applied to fabricate a novel dry adhesive consisting of high-aspect-ratio nanopillars terminated with a fluffy top layer. Both the nanopillars and the terminating layer are fabricated concurrently by replica molding using a nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide membrane as the mold. These Teflon AF hierarchical nanostructures are shown to have an exceptional capacity to generate strong adhesion in both dry conditions and under water because of combined actions of van der Waals forces, electrostatic attractions, and hydrophobic effects. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012