“ESD protective footwear is designed to reduce body charge levels by supplying a conductive path from the body to the floor material. Heel and toe grounders shall be worn on both feet to insure effective use.

The ability of footwear to remove a charge from a charged person who moves from an unprotected area to a protected one, or moves about on an ESD floor should be evaluated. As a person contacts an ESD floor material with static control footwear, the body charge should dissipate leaving minimal residual charge. [ESD Handbook ESD TR20.20-2008 section 5.3.3.3.4 Footwear Proper Usage]

Per ESD SP9.2 APPENDIX B - Foot Grounder Usage Guidance “Compliance verification should be performed prior to each use (daily, shift change, etc.). The accumulation of insulative materials may increase the foot grounder system resistance. If foot grounders are worn outside the ESD protected area testing for functionality before reentry to the ESD protected area should be considered.”