Men's Terrex Freehiker 3 Mid GORE-TEX Hiking Shoes vs TX5 GTX Men's: which is safer?
La Sportiva TX5 GTX Men's is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Adidas
Men's Terrex Freehiker 3 Mid GORE-TEX Hiking Shoes
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 4
Material
GORE-TEX membrane with textile upper
Confidence
45%
PossibleAzo dyes and synthetic colorants
PossibleFormaldehyde in textile resins and finishes
ReportedMicrofiber shedding from degraded synthetic uppers
Our pick
La Sportiva
TX5 GTX Men's
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 8/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
synthetic textile with Gore-Tex membrane waterproof layer
Confidence
45%
PossibleAzo dyes
PossibleFormaldehyde-releasing resins in finishing
PossibleAntimony in polyester
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes and synthetic colorants, Formaldehyde in textile resins and finishes, Microfiber shedding from degraded synthetic uppers and Adhesives and solvent residues on the Adidas and not on the La Sportiva.
- We flag Azo dyes, Formaldehyde-releasing resins in finishing and Antimony in polyester on the La Sportiva and not on the Adidas.
- The Adidas is GORE-TEX membrane with textile upper where the La Sportiva is synthetic textile with Gore-Tex membrane waterproof layer, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More waterproof boots: see the full ranking