Do The North Face running & athletic shoes have PFAS?
The North Face running & athletic shoes average 43 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 4 The North Face 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.
The North Face 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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- 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
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- 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
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- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
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2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
What The North Face says and does about PFAS
We could not load a PFAS statement from The North Face's own website, so we found no PFAS statement from The North Face itself in our fetch. EcoWatch reported in 2021 that parent VF Corporation announced a company-wide PFAS phase-out, and a Better Trail review says The North Face reported reaching that goal in 2025. Greenpeace lab tests in 2016 named The North Face among brands with PFCs in outdoor gear.
- Medical referenceEcoWatch reported in 2021 that VF Corporation, which owns The North Face, announced a company-wide PFAS phase-out mostly by 2025. EcoWatch ↗
- Medical referenceBetter Trail says The North Face reported eliminating PFAS use in mid 2025. This is a third party account of the brand's report, not the brand's own page. Better Trail ↗
- Independent testGreenpeace's 2016 lab tests reported PFCs in products from The North Face and other outdoor brands. It found a North Face pair of gloves was one of only four items free of PFCs. FashionUnited reporting on Greenpeace ↗
- Independent testMamavation notes Pertex fabrics used by The North Face and others come in both fluorinated and non-fluorinated versions, so the brand's fabric choice matters. Mamavation ↗
Sources checked September 29, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.
Which The North Face running & athletic shoes contain PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- Mesh textile upper, foam midsole, rubber outsole
- Formaldehyde / VOCs. Athletic mesh uppers may retain trace residual formaldehyde from fabric treatments…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Mesh textile upper, foam midsole, rubber outsole
- Azo dyes in synthetic textiles. Mesh uppers may contain azo dyes, which are not prohibited in U.S. footwear…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- GORE-TEX membrane with nylon shell, water-repellent coating treatment
- Teflon-type coating microfiber shedding from GORE-TEX membrane. Washing and abrasion cause the expanded…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Textile upper with waterproof coating, rubber sole
- Formaldehyde / VOCs. Textile uppers may be treated with formaldehyde-based resins for wrinkle resistance or…
4 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 The North Face 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.
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- 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.
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- Mesh upper, Fresh Foam midsole, rubber outsole
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes and color-based toxins
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on AmazonThe same question, asked of the other running & athletic shoes brands
Best average grade first. The North Face averages 43.
See every The North Face product we grade on the The North Face brand page, or the full running & athletic shoes ranking.