6401.99.30.00 - Designed for use without closures

This HTS classification, 6401.99.30.00, specifically designates waterproof footwear constructed with outer soles and uppers made from rubber or plastics. A key defining characteristic of footwear within this code is that the uppers are not permanently attached to the sole through traditional assembly methods such as stitching, riveting, nailing, screwing, or plugging. The phrase "Designed for use without closures" further refines this category, indicating footwear that does not incorporate elements like zippers, laces, buckles, or velcro to secure it to the foot. Examples include overshoes or galoshes that are pulled on or slipped over existing footwear, often featuring a seamless, molded construction.

This category is distinguished from its sibling, 6401.99.60.00 ("Other"), by the explicit exclusion of footwear that relies on any form of closure mechanism. While both are waterproof footwear with rubber or plastic uppers not assembled by conventional means, the presence of any fastening system, however minimal, would cause a product to be classified elsewhere. This specific subcategory focuses solely on seamless, pull-on or slip-on designs where the integrity of the waterproof barrier is maintained without external closure components.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories to introduce. Therefore, precise classification under 6401.99.30.00 relies heavily on the physical characteristics of the footwear: its waterproof nature, the material composition of the sole and upper (rubber or plastic), the absence of traditional sole-to-upper assembly methods, and critically, the lack of any closure devices.