Men's Trail Scout 3 vs Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes: which is safer?

New Balance Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

ASICS Men's Trail Scout 3

ASICS

Men's Trail Scout 3

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Mesh textile upper with synthetic overlays, rubber outsole; water-repellent coating treated

Confidence

45%

PossibleFormaldehyde resins in synthetic overlays and glues

PossibleAzo dyes in mesh or overlay textiles

Likelywater-repellent coating durability and reapplication chemicals

Our pick

New Balance Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes

New Balance

Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 57/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Mesh upper, Fresh Foam midsole, rubber outsole

Confidence

72%

PossibleAzo dyes and color-based toxins

PossibleAntimony in polyester

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Formaldehyde resins in synthetic overlays and glues, Azo dyes in mesh or overlay textiles and DWR coating durability and reapplication chemicals on the ASICS and not on the New Balance.
  • We flag Azo dyes and color-based toxins and Antimony in polyester on the New Balance and not on the ASICS.
  • The ASICS is Mesh textile upper with synthetic overlays, rubber outsole; DWR treated where the New Balance is Mesh upper, Fresh Foam midsole, rubber outsole, 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 New Balance is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the ASICS grade, at 45% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.

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 →

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