All 83 running shoes we scored fail our PFAS screen

The verdict
All 83 running shoes PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026.
Free to quote with attribution to PFAS Authority and a link to pfasauthority.com/best/athletic-shoes. Grades are model-based estimates from published materials and disclosures, not lab tests. The rubric.

Every grade below is built from published materials, ingredient lists, certifications and brand disclosures, scored on one public rubric and ranked best-graded first. Each score links to the full breakdown of what earned it, and the numbers across the whole dataset are published too.

Are running shoes non-toxic?

None of the 83 running shoes we graded clear our screen. Non-toxic is not a defined or regulated term, so what we can tell you is what our graders recorded. Beyond PFAS, the hazards found or left unruled-out on running shoes in this category are microplastics, VOCs and off-gassing, artificial dyes, formaldehyde, heavy metals.

Why Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men grades highest here, and why that is not a pass

Every grade on this page is one sum. A category starts from a baseline, each disclosed material or coating adds risk points, and each thing the brand or a third party has published takes them away. Below is that sum for the winner, then for 1 product it beats, so you can see exactly where the 45 points between the top and the bottom of this running shoes ranking come from. Nothing in this category reaches our 70 point pass mark, so this is the shape of the field rather than a recommendation.

Top graded, and still below our pass mark

Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men A07199C
65Good
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men A07199C

Made of Canvas upper, rubber sole.

  • +30Category baseline. The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
  • +15No PFAS disclosure. No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
  • -10Base material not linked to PFAS. The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.

35risk points in total, which is a grade of 65

What the grade does not fix. It still carries one risk factor, No PFAS disclosure, and our graders recorded 2 other hazards on it. See the full breakdown.

Full breakdown

What it still grades above, and why

Saucony Men's Saucony Peregrine 16 GTX
20Bad45 points behind the winner
Saucony Men's Saucony Peregrine 16 GTX

What puts it behind. Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment, +35 points. Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS. The top-graded product carries no such factor.

Made of textile upper with GTX (Teflon-type coating-based) waterproof membrane.

  • +35Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
  • +30Category baseline
  • +15No PFAS disclosure

80risk points, a grade of 20

No product on this page was physically tested by us. Every number above comes from published materials, ingredient and coating disclosures, certifications and brand statements, scored on one public rubric. Formulations change without notice, so check the current product listing before buying.

What to watch for in running shoes

Beyond the PFAS grade, these are the things our graders recorded on the 83 running shoes in this category. We assess from materials, brand statements and published research. We do not lab-test.

  • Microplastics

    Plastic fragments small enough to shed from a product into food, water or air without anyone seeing it.

    Found on 12 of these running shoes. Plausible but unconfirmed on 24 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA

  • VOCs and off-gassing

    Volatile compounds that evaporate out of a material at room temperature, which is what a new product smell is.

    Found on 3 of these running shoes. Plausible but unconfirmed on 27 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA

  • Artificial dyes

    Synthetic colours added to food, cosmetics and textiles, most of them petroleum derived.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 49 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. FDA

  • Formaldehyde

    A preservative and resin ingredient that is also released slowly by a group of chemicals used in its place.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 45 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. NCI

  • Heavy metals

    Metals such as antimony, nickel and chromium migrating from a material into what touches it.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 33 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. ATSDR

The safest running shoes we graded, lowest PFAS risk first

Nothing in this category clears our buy threshold yet. That is the finding, not a gap.

See PFAS-free running shoes on Amazon

The running shoes we would skip

Lowest scoring in this category, worst first, with the reason.

How to read these scores. PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Each grade is a model-based assessment built from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, brand disclosures, recalls and third-party lab results where they exist. Read the full rubric to see exactly what adds and removes points.

What we check on running shoes

  • Confirmed PFAS, PTFE or fluoropolymer content, which is the heaviest penalty we apply.
  • Stain, water or grease resistant treatments, which usually mean fluorinated chemistry.
  • Whether the brand discloses what is in the product, or stays silent behind a “clean” claim.
  • Independent lab results and certifications where they exist.

Full point-by-point rubric on the methodology page.

The running shoes brands we found no PFAS statement from

We found no PFAS statement from 13 of the brands here. That is our research, not proof a brand has never said anything, and it is not evidence of harm. It is why none of them score well on disclosure.

Asolo, Brooks, Converse, Diadora, HOKA, Inov-8, Li-Ning, Merrell, Mizuno, New Balance, Saucony, Skechers.

The brands that have published something, and what each of them actually said, are in our record of what every brand has said about PFAS.

Common questions about PFAS in running shoes

Are running shoes PFAS free?

All 83 running shoes PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026. The lowest graded is Saucony Men's Saucony Peregrine 16 GTX at 20 out of 100.

Are running shoes non-toxic?

None of the 83 running shoes we graded clear our screen. Non-toxic is not a defined or regulated term, so what we can tell you is what our graders recorded. Beyond PFAS, the hazards found or left unruled-out on running shoes in this category are microplastics, VOCs and off-gassing, artificial dyes, formaldehyde, heavy metals.

Which running shoes should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Saucony Men's Saucony Peregrine 16 GTX at 20, Brooks Men's Cascadia 20 GTX at 20, New Balance Men's DynaSoft Nitrel v6 Gore Tex at 20. The problem with the first is that gTX membrane likely contains PFOA/PFOS; consider non-waterproof alternative.

Which running shoes brands have not published a PFAS statement?

We found no PFAS statement from 13 of the brands we scored in this category, including Asolo, Brooks, Converse, Diadora, HOKA, Inov-8. That is what our research turned up, not proof a brand has never said anything, and a missing statement is not evidence of harm. It is the reason those brands cannot score well on disclosure.

Do you lab test running shoes?

No. We score from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, disclosures and third party lab results where they exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so.

More clothing and outdoor categories we have graded

Same rubric, same scale. These are the categories closest to running shoes.

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Does a particular brand of running shoes have PFAS?

Brands we grade across the catalogue

Everything we have scored from these brands, not just running shoes.

Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 83 running shoes.