Men's Outdoor K-20 Plus Insole vs Pulse Performance Insoles: which is safer?
PowerStep Pulse Performance Insoles is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Keen
Men's Outdoor K-20 Plus Insole
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyFluorinated water-repellent treatment (PFAS proxy)
PossibleFoam microparticles from degradation
PossibleAllergic sensitization from treatment chemicals
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 Fluorinated water-repellent treatment (PFAS proxy), Foam microparticles from degradation and Allergic sensitization from treatment chemicals on the Keen 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 Keen.
- The Keen is foam/gel insole 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.
- We are less certain about the Keen grade, at 45% 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 synthetic athletic insoles & orthotics: see the full ranking