TX5 GTX Men's vs Men's SFB B2: 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
Nike
Men's SFB B2
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 4
Material
Canvas, leather, rubber sole with water-repellent coating treatment
Confidence
35%
LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating treatment
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in finishes
PossibleAzo dyes in leather or canvas
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 Nike.
- We flag PFAS in DWR treatment, Formaldehyde resins in finishes, Azo dyes in leather or canvas and Coating degradation and leaching on the Nike and not on the La Sportiva.
- The La Sportiva is synthetic textile with Gore-Tex membrane waterproof layer where the Nike is Canvas, leather, rubber sole with DWR treatment, 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