Chuck Taylor All Star Cx Exp2 4.5 Men A07199C vs Men's Offtrail TR GORE-TEX: 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
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes in canvas
PossibleFormaldehyde resin finishing on canvas
The North Face
Men's Offtrail TR GORE-TEX
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
ReportedTeflon-type coating microfiber shedding from GORE-TEX membrane
LikelyFluorinated water-repellent coating finish leaching
PossibleHeat degradation of Teflon-type coating during drying or pressing
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 PTFE microfiber shedding from GORE-TEX membrane, Fluorinated DWR finish leaching and Heat degradation of PTFE during drying or pressing on the The North Face and not on the Converse.
- The Converse is Canvas upper, rubber sole where the The North Face is GORE-TEX membrane with nylon shell, DWR 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.
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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