Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men A07199C vs Men's Altamesa 500 V2: which is safer?

These two grade almost identically. Pick on price and preference; neither has a PFAS edge.

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

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Canvas upper, rubber sole

Confidence

72%

PossibleAzo dyes in canvas

PossibleFormaldehyde resin finishing on canvas

The North Face Men's Altamesa 500 V2

The North Face

Men's Altamesa 500 V2

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 57/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Mesh textile upper, foam midsole, rubber outsole

Confidence

35%

PossibleAzo dyes in synthetic textiles

PossibleFormaldehyde resins in textile bonding

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Azo dyes in canvas and Formaldehyde resin finishing on canvas on the Converse and not on the The North Face.
  • We flag Azo dyes in synthetic textiles and Formaldehyde resins in textile bonding on the The North Face and not on the Converse.
  • The Converse is Canvas upper, rubber sole where the The North Face is Mesh textile upper, foam midsole, rubber outsole, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
  • We are less certain about the The North Face grade, at 35% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.

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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