TX5 GTX Men's vs Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER: which is safer?

Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

La Sportiva TX5 GTX Men's

La Sportiva

TX5 GTX Men's

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 8/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

synthetic textile with Gore-Tex membrane waterproof layer

Confidence

45%

PossibleAzo dyes

PossibleFormaldehyde-releasing resins in finishing

PossibleAntimony in polyester

Our pick

Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER

Mephisto

Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 59/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 1

Material

leather, textile, rubber sole

Confidence

55%

PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing from adhesives

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Azo dyes, Formaldehyde-releasing resins in finishing and Antimony in polyester on the La Sportiva and not on the Mephisto.
  • We flag Volatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing from adhesives on the Mephisto and not on the La Sportiva.
  • The La Sportiva is synthetic textile with Gore-Tex membrane waterproof layer where the Mephisto is leather, textile, rubber sole, 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 Mephisto 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 waterproof boots: see the full ranking