Dr. Scholls Women's Athletic Series Sport Insoles 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
Dr. Scholls Women's Athletic Series Sport Insoles
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 2/100
Verdict
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Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
foam, gel, fabric with moisture-wicking treatment
Confidence
62%
ReportedPFAS in moisture-wicking treatment
PossibleFoam and gel microparticle shedding
PossibleThermal degradation of foam cushioning
Our pick
Powerstep
Pulse Performance Insoles
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Good 57/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
EVA foam, gel, fabric blend
Confidence
72%
PossibleAzo dyes in fabric blend
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in fabric finishing
Where these two actually differ
- We flag PFAS in moisture-wicking treatment, Foam and gel microparticle shedding and Thermal degradation of foam cushioning 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, gel, fabric with moisture-wicking treatment where the Powerstep is EVA foam, gel, fabric blend, 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 Powerstep 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 →
More synthetic athletic insoles & orthotics: see the full ranking