Women's running shoes Diadora Mythos Blushield 9 Vortice vs Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes: which is safer?
New Balance Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Diadora
Women's running shoes Diadora Mythos Blushield 9 Vortice
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes in synthetic overlays and mesh
Reportedwater-repellent coating degradation and re-application risks
PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) from synthetic adhesives
Our pick
New Balance
Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes and color-based toxins
PossibleAntimony in polyester
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes in synthetic overlays and mesh, DWR coating degradation and re-application risks and Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from synthetic adhesives on the Diadora and not on the New Balance.
- We flag Azo dyes and color-based toxins and Antimony in polyester on the New Balance and not on the Diadora.
- The Diadora is Textile upper with synthetic/mesh, DWR-treated where the New Balance is Mesh upper, Fresh Foam midsole, rubber outsole, 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 New Balance is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Diadora 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 →
More running & athletic shoes: see the full ranking