Cleanroom Footwear: Overshoe, Boot or ESD Shoe?
Whether disposable overshoe, autoclavable cleanroom boot or dissipative ESD shoe, the right footwear depends on the cleanroom class, the required dissipative resistance and the gowning concept. This guide covers the selection criteria per ISO 14644-1 and IEC 61340-5-1 and how the shoe-change bench keeps the airlock cleanly divided.
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Overshoe, cleanroom boot or ESD shoe?
Cleanroom footwear comes in three basic forms: the disposable overshoe worn over a street shoe, the reusable cleanroom boot, and the dissipative ESD cleanroom shoe as dedicated work footwear. Which form fits is decided by the cleanroom class and by whether particles or electrostatic charge is the bigger risk.
The overshoe is the simplest and cheapest option for visitors and less critical areas. The cleanroom boot made of polyester fabric with a dissipative sole is autoclavable and suited to high classes down to ISO 5 and below. The ESD cleanroom shoe per EN ISO 20345 adds toe protection and a permanently tested dissipative resistance.
Which footwear suits which cleanroom class?
ISO 14644‑1 classifies cleanrooms by particle count per cubic metre into classes from ISO 1 to ISO 9. The lower the number, the stricter the requirement on clothing and footwear. For footwear the rule is: the higher the class, the less particle shedding allowed and the stricter the separation from the outside world.
- ISO 8/7: overshoe for visitors, ESD work shoe for staff in continuous use.
- ISO 6: washable cleanroom boot with a high shaft that covers the coverall.
- ISO 5 and stricter: autoclavable boot in polyester filament, sterilisable at 121 °C.
- Sterile area (pharma, GMP Grade A/B): sterilised boots changed for each entry.
How much dissipative resistance does the footwear need?
In electronics cleanrooms the footwear must be not only low-particle but also dissipative. Under IEC 61340‑5‑1 the ESD shoe together with the dissipative cleanroom floor forms the person's grounding path. The system resistance from the person through shoe and floor to ground should stay below 10⁹ Ω.
A dissipative shoe alone is not enough: it works only over a conductive or dissipative floor covering. The person-shoe-floor interaction is measured at a test unit against the grounding point, ideally daily before work starts.
How does the shoe change in the airlock work?
The airlock is the border between dirty and clean, and the shoe-change bench is its heart. It splits the personnel airlock into a black (dirty) and a white (clean) side. The worker sits on the bench, removes the street shoe on the black side and swings across to the white side wearing the cleanroom footwear, so that no foot ever touches the wrong zone.
- Black side: take off street shoes and store them in a rack or locker.
- Use the bench seat as the physical dividing line between both zones.
- White side: put on cleanroom boot or overshoe, only then stand up.
- A dissipative seat and floor extension maintain the grounding path.
- Stainless steel versions are wipe-disinfectable and low-particle.
Frequently asked questions
Are disposable overshoes enough in a cleanroom?
In low classes such as ISO 8 and for visitors, usually yes. In ISO 6 and below, washable or autoclavable cleanroom boots are required, because overshoes do not really hold back the street shoe and its particles.
Must cleanroom footwear always be dissipative?
Only in ESD protected areas of electronics manufacturing. There IEC 61340‑5‑1 requires a person-shoe-floor system resistance below 10⁹ Ω. In pure particle control without ESD risk, dissipation is not mandatory but often sensible.
What is the shoe-change bench for?
It physically splits the personnel airlock into a dirty and a clean zone. The worker changes shoes while seated and crosses the bench without ever touching the dirty side with the cleanroom shoe.
How often must the footwear be tested?
The person-shoe-floor system resistance is ideally checked and logged daily before work starts at a test unit. Autoclavable boots are replaced after the defined sterilisation cycle.
Looking for the right cleanroom footwear?
We supply overshoes, autoclavable cleanroom boots and dissipative ESD shoes to match your cleanroom class - including the shoe-change bench for the airlock.
Class-matched
Selection to suit ISO 14644-1 from ISO 8 to ISO 5.
Dissipation tested
ESD shoes per IEC 61340-5-1 below 10⁹ Ω.
Complete airlock
Footwear plus the matching shoe-change bench.
Expert advice
Cleanroom specialists help with the selection.