Need low resistance ESD shoes - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ocset
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2018, 09:31:25 am
content: Hello,We need ESD shoes for our staff. We need them to make as low resistance as possible from the skin of the foot, to the sole of the shoe.We don’t want to use footstraps as the staff have to keep taking them on and off as they go outside and back inside etc.This wears the footstrap out.We simply cant find any. Do you know of some?

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 29, 2018, 09:41:58 am
content: Try these guyshttps://aimont.co.uk/sector/electricalI haven't used them as I work in design consulting rather than assembly, but they are sold here in Australia for ESD safe manufacturing.Oh, and you can get them in a "24Bit" model(Edit: it might actually be a different brand sold here)

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 29, 2018, 09:48:57 am
content: And RS UK stock over 900 different products that match ESD safe shoes with "anti-static"https://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/safety-security-esd-control-clean-room/personal-protection-clothing-footwear/safety-shoes-boots/?applied-dimensions=4294809424

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 29, 2018, 10:03:49 am
content: Oh, and you mention low resistance. What magnitude are you thinking?You don't need a particularly low resistance for ESD protection, you just need a way to avoid charge build up that meets your compliance standards.

author: OE2WHP
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2018, 10:12:29 am
content: afaik, the resistance of ESD protection which is connecting the human body to earth must be minimum 1MOhm. I think i saw that in the EN61340 standard. Low resitsance connection to ground can be dangerous if you get in contact with mains voltage. Same is true for wrist straps.

author: ocset
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 06:55:27 am
content: Ref the safety aspect of low resistance esd shoes.......thanks yes, but the resistance through our esd floor is so high that there will be no safety problem if the resistance through the shoe is low....the total resistance through the body->shoe->esd floor tile -> conductive strip beneath esd floor tile -> earth is 70 megohms when an esd footstrap is worn......so even with bare feet (for example), it will be about 69megohms- - - Updated - - -however, there are no cheap, low resistance esd shoes.....we woudl accept anything less than 1 or 2 megohm.We are looking for less than £15 per pair of shoes...nothing exists

author: Mattylad
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 09:46:09 am
content: So your planning on buying shoes that won't last long?£15 for a pair of shoes - they are gonna be cheap crap, uncomfortable and quick to wear out.I certainly wouldnt want to wear them.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 12:22:47 pm
content: Findinganyshoes below £15 is going to be difficult, even for a consumer - and you are trying to find a specialty industrial product. I'm sorry, but you need to strecth your budget to around £100.This can't be meaningful, I mean, if you work out the payrol with all associated costs, even for a low-wage worker it would work out at least £40000/year, and assuming shoe lifetime of one year, £100 would be 0.25% of the total cost.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 12:27:48 pm
content: what about if they just wear conductive/metalised socks when inside.They could put on shoes when going outside as needed,and to answer your next question.no, not really, I'm only about 50% serious

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 12:40:50 pm
content: Quote from: treez on June 30, 2018, 06:55:27 amNot only without a tiny bit of clue why you would need this but also overly cheapskate and delusional.On the other hand, just like any other thread from treez.QuoteThen why FFS do you need <2MOhm if it does not make any significant difference even if it was 10 or 20 MOhm?

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 12:52:45 pm
content: Quote from: Psi on June 30, 2018, 12:27:48 pmI suggest working with bare feet. The cheapest option and has the least resistance as treez already mentioned. And on top of that, that would be to most suitable option according to their corporate principles. I already imagine it, unqualified people who lack any test equipment working bare feet. That's basically what it sounds like from all of these bizarre threads.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 01:05:23 pm
content: Working completely naked would further reduce the ESD risk considerably, and as an additional benefit, make the work culture more intimate.

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 05:44:55 pm
content: Quote from: treez on June 29, 2018, 09:31:25 amYou can spray both the insides & outsides & the sole of the boots/shoes with a carbon spray to reduce any static electricity buildup.This means you could still wear safety boots if required by OH & S regulations.I guess (if your work environment is warm enough) you could ask your workers to not wear socks.Here is a link to a multitude of different products that might do the job:https://www.google.com.au/search?q=ESD+carbon+spray&client=opera&hs=P01&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjc88HY9vvbAhWFJpQKHdDSD1wQsAQIOg

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 06:42:16 pm
content: Why do you reqest "as low resistance as possible from the skin of the foot, to the sole of the shoe"You state that the rest of the ESD floor already has an impedance of 69Meg Ohm. Do you really think that a few extra Meg is going to matter?Reliability seems a bigger problem to me than resistance if you start with sprays.I assume you measure the impedance near the door on entry?(It would be a cool hack to build an ESD tester into the doorknob).

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 06:58:31 pm
content: Quote from: treez on June 30, 2018, 06:55:27 amRe safety - you do realize that your staffer could walk also elsewhere than on your ESD floor in those? E.g. to a coffee machine or toilet. That's asking to get electrocuted.And if your resistance to earth is 69M even whenbarefoot, then what the f... are you expecting from those shoes? 2M or 10M extra resistance won't make a squat of difference. Optimizing and "fixing" what isn't broken again?

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2022, 11:17:58 am
content: Quote from: ocset on June 29, 2018, 09:31:25 amP155taking aside, ESD flooring and shoes are both made to standards, if you have an up to spec floor than a genuine ESD shoe is all you need. I have randomly purchased the cheapest one I could find Portwest Sandal - it is heavy, inflexible, poorly cushioned and the insole moves. A false economy on all fronts, they also fail the ESD test station as soon they get even a little grubby, I don't think you should be looking at whatever you buy leaving the building,.Shoe fit and comfort is highly individual, you sadly need to suck it up and buy what each worker needs or they won't wear them. Personally as the SMT operator I need to be on my feet so I go with the combined heel and toe footstrap, a set of those costs more than your laughable shoe budget but at least I get to chose my shoes that way. Everyone else in the factory takes the wrist strap route and their chairs and equipment are all suitably grounded.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 09, 2022, 07:04:28 pm
content: If I needed something like that I would just make my own out of ESD wrist straps. Or something similar.At least I would know that it could be relied upon.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2022, 10:58:49 pm
content: I modified myself a pair of flip-flops (super comfy Sanuk brand) into ESD flip flops using self-adhesive nickel fabric tape intended for EMI shielding. A couple of wraps so that the sole and my foot make contact, and from there to the ESD floor. (I test them regularly with the ESD footwear tester at work and they pass.)

author: vstrulev
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2022, 12:00:47 am
content: Quote from: ocset on June 29, 2018, 09:31:25 amGood day. ESD heel straps + ESD floor mat (Bertech)

author: Warpspeed
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2022, 06:20:12 am
content: Haha, I did the same, modified some flip flops with a couple of simple copper bands. Works great in summer.I used Google to try and find antistatic shoes, no real luck. They are out there, but all I could find were way beyond my budget.But that is not the end of the story. For almost a YEAR later Google bombarded me with advertising material for women's fashion and makeup products.Some of the female underwear advertisements had some of my workmates really worried about me.

author: vstrulev
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2023, 07:52:49 am
content: Quote from: Warpspeed on September 12, 2022, 06:20:12 amsomething like this:https://www.amazon.com/Alphastat-Adjustable-Static-Protecting-Electronics/dp/B07NQX482L/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=esd+heel+straps&qid=1682581903&sr=8-3

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2023, 09:01:56 pm
content: Looking for the Company "Haix" if you are from Europe. The Produce in Europe and I like mine a lot!

author: E-Design
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2023, 09:24:34 pm
content: You can find anti static shoes on aliexpress. They are low cost and actually last longer than one might expect. I wouldnt wear them outside of a factory / lab floor though.They offer resistance down to 1Meg - and for safety reasons, this is low enough. It should be low enough for you too - as it is for the rest of the world.Anyhow, they do exist.

author: Feynman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2023, 07:25:58 pm
content: Why do you need "as low resistance as possible" in the first place? I don't know what limits or standard you have to comply with, but you floor is - as you stated - 69 Meg to ground. That is already pretty low for an ESD floor. The upper limit in the commonly used ESD standard EN 61340-5-1 is 1 Gig. Our ESD floor has a resistance of a few 100 Megs, for example.

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2023, 08:31:53 pm
content: https://www.birkenstock.com/de/boston-natural-leather/boston-core-naturalleather-0-evaantistatic-u_19.html#lang=de_DEI use them at Home.

author: DavidAlfa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2023, 08:39:39 pm
content: Do you want to fry your employees when accidentally touching something?You DON'T want low resistance for humans, static electricity building current is micro/nanoamps, Mohm range is low enoughRemember human ESD protection is *avoiding* getting charged, not providing a low resistance path when the body touches a charged object.So no, you don't need solid copper shoes for ESD protection.