Men's Cascadia 20 GTX vs Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men A07199C: which is safer?
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men A07199C is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Brooks
Men's Cascadia 20 GTX
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyTeflon-family coating (Teflon-type coating/Gore-Tex) membrane degradation
PossibleAzo dyes in textile upper and lining
PossibleAntimony in polyester fabric
Our pick
Converse
Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men A07199C
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes in canvas
PossibleFormaldehyde resin finishing on canvas
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Fluoropolymer (PTFE/Gore-Tex) membrane degradation, Azo dyes in textile upper and lining, Antimony in polyester fabric and Adhesive and glue off-gassing on the Brooks and not on the Converse.
- We flag Azo dyes in canvas and Formaldehyde resin finishing on canvas on the Converse and not on the Brooks.
- The Brooks is Gore-Tex waterproof membrane with textile upper where the Converse is Canvas upper, 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 Converse 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 →
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