Men's Adrenaline GTS 25 vs Pulse Performance Insoles: which is safer?
PowerStep Pulse Performance Insoles is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Brooks
Men's Adrenaline GTS 25
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
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Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
mesh textile upper, foam midsole, rubber outsole with water-repellent coating treatment
Confidence
55%
LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating
PossiblePolyurethane midsole off-gassing
Our pick
Powerstep
Pulse Performance Insoles
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Good 57/100
Verdict
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Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
EVA foam, gel, fabric blend
Confidence
72%
PossibleAzo dyes in fabric blend
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in fabric finishing
Where these two actually differ
- We flag PFAS in DWR coating and Polyurethane midsole off-gassing on the Brooks and not on the Powerstep.
- We flag Azo dyes in fabric blend and Formaldehyde resins in fabric finishing on the Powerstep and not on the Brooks.
- The Brooks is mesh textile upper, foam midsole, rubber outsole with DWR treatment where the Powerstep is EVA foam, gel, fabric blend, 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 Powerstep is the one to buy.
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 synthetic athletic insoles & orthotics: see the full ranking