When wearing a heel strap, does the strap need to make direct contact with the skin?

When wearing heel straps/foot grounders in an ESD Protected Area, it is recommended that the conductive ribbon should make direct contact with the skin for maximum effectiveness. However, a conductive ribbon may be placed inside a wearer’s shoe underneath their sock to make electrical contact with the skin through perspiration. If the wearer chooses to place the ribbon underneath their sock, there are a few key factors you should consider. Socks can have varying material composition and thickness. Despite this, as long as the wearer’s feet are producing a sufficient sweat layer, it will make their socks conduct providing a conductive layer between each foot (skin) and grounding ribbon. Before handling electronic static-sensitive devices, ensure you allow enough time to develop a good layer of sweat in order to make the sock conductive enough to effectively bond the skin to the ribbon. You can check the continuity of the foot grounder via a footwear tester. If you would prefer to wear ESD shoes then please view our range here.