Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men A07199C vs Women's Waterproof Plush Foam: 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

Converse

Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men A07199C

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 57/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Canvas upper, rubber sole

Confidence

72%

PossibleAzo dyes in canvas

PossibleFormaldehyde resin finishing on canvas

Skechers Women's Waterproof Plush Foam

Skechers

Women's Waterproof Plush Foam

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 16/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 1

Material

Synthetic foam, textile upper with waterproof treatment

Confidence

45%

PossibleWaterproof coating - PFAS or undisclosed fluorinated compounds

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Azo dyes in canvas and Formaldehyde resin finishing on canvas on the Converse and not on the Skechers.
  • We flag Waterproof coating - PFAS or undisclosed fluorinated compounds on the Skechers and not on the Converse.
  • The Converse is Canvas upper, rubber sole where the Skechers is Synthetic foam, textile upper with waterproof treatment, 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 Skechers 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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