What makes ESD shoes special

In short, the special thing about ESD shoes is that they dissipate electrostatic charges. You can buy various brands of ESD shoes from the Swiss online retailer abovo.

In the following article, we explain in more detail what makes ESD footwear so special and present the brands of ESD footwear that you can order online from abovo.

What does ESD footwear mean?

To better understand the meaning of the term “ESD shoes”, it helps to know what the abbreviation ESD means. ESD stands for “electrostatic discharge”. Basically, ESD refers to an uncontrolled electrostatic discharge that needs to be prevented in order to protect sensitive electronic components.

So what are ESD shoes in this context? When we talk about ESD shoes, we are referring to shoes that have been designed to prevent uncontrolled electrostatic discharge. As a rule, ESD shoes do this by dissipating electrostatic charges via the floor, i.e. discharging them in a controlled manner. The soles of ESD shoes are often made of a polyurethane plastic (PU sole).

However, it should be noted that in addition to ESD footwear, other measures must be taken to establish an adequate ESD protection system, such as laying ESD floor coverings , taking earthing measures, using ESD furniture, using ESD table mats, setting up entire ESD workstations or even ESD protection zones, depending on the application.

Background knowledge: “What measures are there for earthing people?“

In addition to ESD shoes, there are also ESD safety shoes that are not only ESD-capable, but are also suitable as safety shoes, i.e. equipped with toe protection and/or nail penetration protection.

ESD shoes are available in a wide variety of shoe types, from sneakers and sandals to overshoes.

You can find an overview of the different types of ESD footwear in our article “ESD shoes – what are they and when are they necessary?“.

ESD footwear mark

Shoes are only considered ESD-capable and therefore ESD shoes if they have a contact resistance of between 100 kiloohms and 35 megohms. This is defined in the IEC 61340-5-1 standard. If you want to be sure that this standard requirement is met with regard to the resistance of ESD footwear, you can use the yellow ESD symbol as a guide.

This so-called ESD symbol on ESD shoes consists of a triangle containing a hand grasping something. Most of the triangle is surrounded by a circle. This circle is only open on the lower side. The abbreviation ESD is written on this lower side.

Check ESD shoes regularly at the ESD test station

As factors such as dirt, moisture and temperature can affect the functionality of ESD equipment – including the functionality of ESD footwear – ESD footwear should be tested regularly before use.

So-called ESD test stations have been developed for such tests – for ESD shoes, for example. In some cases, these test stations can also be used to test the functionality of ESD wristbands.

You can also purchase ESD test stations from ESD and cleanroom dealer abovo in the online store. for testing ESD footwear shoes – sometimes combined with the option of testing ESD wristbands.wristbands.

There are also, for example test stations for ESD clothing.

Brands of ESD shoes

ESD shoes are available from many different brands. In Switzerland, ESD specialist retailer abovo stocks one of the largest ranges of ESD shoes, as well as ESD safety shoes; shoes ordered from abovo are delivered from stock within 24 hours.

The brands of ESD shoes that you can buy online from abovo include the following:

Please also read our following product review articles:

Help with the selection of ESD shoes

With so many different brands and types of ESD footwear available, our experts at abovo, the specialist wholesaler for cleanroom and ESD products, will be happy to advise you on choosing the right ESD footwear for your applications.

The easiest way to contact the ESD shoe experts at abovo is by telephone or e-mail: