ESD Shoes & Boots

Frequently Asked Questions

What does static dissipative footwear actually do?

It gives static charge a controlled path from your body through the sole to the floor, bleeding it away steadily rather than letting it build and then discharge all at once. Under ASTM F2413, SD footwear is tested to keep electrical resistance within a specified range, low enough to drain charge but high enough to still offer some resistance to current. That controlled range is the whole point: too conductive is as wrong as too insulating.

What is the difference between ESD and EH footwear?

They do opposite jobs and are mutually exclusive under ASTM F2413. An EH sole resists current flowing through the boot to ground, protecting you from a live circuit. An SD sole deliberately allows charge to flow to ground, protecting components from you. A shoe carries one rating or the other, never both, so read the label against what your protocol actually requires. Our electrical hazard boots collection covers the EH side.

Do ESD shoes work without a dissipative floor?

Not properly. SD footwear is one half of a system: the shoe drains charge to the floor, and the floor has to be part of a grounded ESD program for the charge to actually go anywhere. Wearing SD shoes on ordinary sealed concrete or vinyl gives you far less protection than the rating implies. If your facility runs an ESD program, the flooring is specified alongside the footwear.

Can you wear socks or insoles with ESD shoes?

Sock choice matters more than most people expect, because the path runs from your body through the sock and the footbed into the sole. Thick insulating socks and aftermarket insoles can interrupt that path and take the shoe out of its tested range. If you need a custom orthotic, check whether your facility's ESD program permits it, and use dissipative insoles where they are available.

How often should ESD footwear be tested?

Most ESD programs require testing at the start of each shift on a footwear tester at the entry point, and that is standard practice in electronics manufacturing rather than an unusual precaution. Resistance changes with wear, contamination, humidity, and moisture, so a shoe that passed last month can fail today. The rating on the label describes the shoe when new, and daily testing is what confirms it still performs.

Do ESD shoes come with safety toes?

Yes, in steel, alloy, and composite, all meeting ASTM F2413 for impact and compression on the rated models, plus soft toe versions for environments without a crush hazard. The toe cap has no bearing on the SD rating, which comes from the sole and the internal conduction path. Toe type is stated in every product title.

Which industries require ESD footwear?

Electronics assembly and repair, semiconductor and PCB manufacturing, cleanrooms, pharmaceutical production, aerospace component work, and fuel and solvent handling where a static spark is an ignition risk. Data centers and some telecom facilities specify it as well. The common thread is either sensitive components or a flammable atmosphere. Our warehouse shoes range covers the adjacent indoor work.

Are ESD shoes comfortable for a full shift?

Most of this range is built as light athletic work shoes rather than boots, because ESD environments are typically flat indoor floors where ankle support and abrasion resistance matter less than cushioning and airflow. That makes them among the more comfortable options for standing work. Footbeds are removable on many models, though replacing them can affect the rating.

Can ESD shoes be waterproof?

Rarely, and there is a reason for it. A waterproof membrane is an insulating layer, which works directly against a design intended to conduct charge away from your body. ESD environments are almost always dry indoor spaces, so the combination is seldom needed. If you need both, verify the SD rating specifically rather than assuming it survived the addition of a membrane.

How long do ESD shoes stay rated?

The rating degrades with wear and contamination, and there is no fixed lifespan printed on the shoe. Worn outsoles, oil and chemical contamination, and general dirt all push resistance out of the tested range. This is exactly why daily testing exists in ESD programs. Once a shoe consistently fails the tester, it is finished as ESD footwear regardless of how much tread is left.

ESD Shoes & Boots

Frequently Asked Questions

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