Men's Terrex Freehiker 3 Mid GORE-TEX Hiking Shoes vs Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER: which is safer?
Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER 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
Mephisto
Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Good 59/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
leather, textile, rubber sole
Confidence
55%
PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing from adhesives
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 Mephisto.
- We flag Volatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing from adhesives on the Mephisto and not on the Adidas.
- The Adidas is GORE-TEX membrane with textile upper where the Mephisto is leather, textile, rubber sole, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Mephisto is the one to buy.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers 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