Men's Sports Cushions Shock Absorbing Shoe Inserts vs Pulse Performance Insoles: which is safer?
PowerStep Pulse Performance Insoles is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Dr. Scholl's
Men's Sports Cushions Shock Absorbing Shoe Inserts
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAdhesive or bonding agent degradation
PossibleOdor and microbial growth in degraded foam
PossibleContact dermatitis from dyes or finishes
Our pick
Powerstep
Pulse Performance Insoles
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes in fabric blend
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in fabric finishing
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Adhesive or bonding agent degradation, Odor and microbial growth in degraded foam and Contact dermatitis from dyes or finishes on the Dr. Scholl's and not on the Powerstep.
- We flag Azo dyes in fabric blend and Formaldehyde resins in fabric finishing on the Powerstep and not on the Dr. Scholl's.
- The Dr. Scholl's is foam cushioning, likely polyurethane or EVA where the Powerstep is EVA foam, gel, fabric blend, 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.
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 synthetic athletic insoles & orthotics: see the full ranking