43Poor

Do New Balance running & athletic shoes have PFAS?

The verdict
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.
Free to quote with attribution to PFAS Authority and a link to pfasauthority.com/brands/new-balance/athletic-shoes.

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.

  • 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

Avocado

Vegan Mattress

100ExcellentPFAS grade
✓ MADE SAFE Certified✓ Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
  • 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

New Balance Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes

New Balance

Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes

65GoodPFAS grade
  • 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
New Balance Men's Fresh Foam X Hierro v9

New Balance

Men's Fresh Foam X Hierro v9

65GoodPFAS grade
  • 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
New Balance Men's DynaSoft Nitrel v6 Gore Tex

New Balance

Men's DynaSoft Nitrel v6 Gore Tex

20BadPFAS grade
  • 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.

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New Balance Men's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 GTX Running

New Balance

Men's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 GTX Running

20BadPFAS grade
  • 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.

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Better 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
Converse Run Star Trainer

Converse

Run Star Trainer

65GoodPFAS grade
  • 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
Skechers Men's Go Run Consistent 2.0

Skechers

Men's Go Run Consistent 2.0

65GoodPFAS grade
  • Mesh textile, foam midsole, rubber outsole
  • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
  • Adhesive and foam degradation off-gassing
Find an alternative on Amazon

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.