<p>Owing to the relatively low stiffness of the slide and the considerable deformation under support force, the fluid–structure interaction (FSI) phenomenon in aerostatic slides is generally pronounced. This phenomenon affects the performance of static pressure slides, particularly those with high load-carrying capacity and low stiffness. However, most existing methods for analyzing the effect of FSI on the stiffness of static pressure slides are iterative and computationally expensive. To address this issue, a novel direct method is proposed for evaluating the stiffness of static pressure slides while considering FSI. This method can quickly and precisely obtain numerical solutions. Furthermore, the accuracy of the proposed method is validated through experiments. Based on the developed FSI model, the effects of normal force and film thickness on the normal stiffness of aerostatic slides are also investigated.</p>