TX5 GTX Men's vs Women's Fresh Foam X Hierro Mid Gore-Tex: which is safer?
La Sportiva TX5 GTX Men's is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
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
New Balance
Women's Fresh Foam X Hierro Mid Gore-Tex
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 5
Material
Gore-Tex membrane with textile upper
Confidence
45%
LikelyTeflon-type coating/PFAS in Gore-Tex membrane
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in textile bonding
PossibleAzo dyes in synthetic textiles
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes and Formaldehyde-releasing resins in finishing on the La Sportiva and not on the New Balance.
- We flag PTFE/PFAS in Gore-Tex membrane, Formaldehyde resins in textile bonding, Azo dyes in synthetic textiles and Microfiber shedding from synthetic upper on the New Balance and not on the La Sportiva.
- Both carry a flag for Antimony in polyester, so neither choice avoids it.
- The La Sportiva is synthetic textile with Gore-Tex membrane waterproof layer where the New Balance is Gore-Tex membrane with textile upper, 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 waterproof boots: see the full ranking