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.

Women's running shoes Diadora Mythos Blushield 9 Vortice

Diadora

Women's running shoes Diadora Mythos Blushield 9 Vortice

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 2/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Textile upper with synthetic/mesh, water-repellent coating-treated

Confidence

35%

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

New Balance

Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 57/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Mesh upper, Fresh Foam midsole, rubber outsole

Confidence

72%

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