Do New Balance running & athletic shoes have PFAS?
New Balance running & athletic shoes average 43 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 4 New Balance running & athletic shoes graded as of October 2026, above the 31 out of 100 median for the 20 other running & athletic shoes brands graded alongside it.
New Balance running & athletic shoes average Poor on our four-band scale. None of them clear our buy threshold.
PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Grades are model-based, built from published ingredients, materials, certifications, brand disclosures and third-party lab results where they exist. See the rubric.
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Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.
- polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial growth in spent cartridges
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Aquasure
Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
- RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Avocado
Vegan Mattress
- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Which New Balance running & athletic shoes contain PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- Mesh upper, Fresh Foam midsole, rubber outsole
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes and color-based toxins. Colored mesh and foam components may use azo dyes, which can break down into…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- Knit textile upper, foam midsole, rubber outsole
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes and textile colorants. Knit yarn may contain residual azo dyes or heavy-metal mordants used in…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- Textile with Gore-Tex waterproof membrane
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes in textile colorants. Polyester and nylon uppers may be dyed with azo dyes, some of which are…
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- Mesh/textile upper with GTX waterproof membrane
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS. Gore-Tex is a Teflon-family coating matrix; PFAS compounds are chemically inherent to the technology.…
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on AmazonBetter running & athletic shoes from other brands
Graded higher than the New Balance average of 43.
- Canvas upper, rubber sole
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes in canvas
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- Canvas, rubber sole
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes and synthetic dyes
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- Mesh textile, foam midsole, rubber outsole
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Adhesive and foam degradation off-gassing
The same question, asked of the other running & athletic shoes brands
Best average grade first. New Balance averages 43.
See every New Balance product we grade on the New Balance brand page, or the full running & athletic shoes ranking.