Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men A07199C vs Inov8 Men's TrailFly Max: 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.
Our pick
Converse
Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men A07199C
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Good 57/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Canvas upper, rubber sole
Confidence
72%
PossibleAzo dyes in canvas
PossibleFormaldehyde resin finishing on canvas
Inov-8
Inov8 Men's TrailFly Max
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 16/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
synthetic textile upper with water-repellent coating finish, rubber sole
Confidence
35%
PossibleFluorochemical water-repellent coating (PFAS)
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes in canvas and Formaldehyde resin finishing on canvas on the Converse and not on the Inov-8.
- We flag Fluorochemical water-repellent coating (PFAS) on the Inov-8 and not on the Converse.
- The Converse is Canvas upper, rubber sole where the Inov-8 is synthetic textile upper with DWR finish, 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.
- We are less certain about the Inov-8 grade, at 35% 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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