TX5 GTX Men's vs Summit Fastpack GORE-TEX Hiking Boot: 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
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes
PossibleFormaldehyde-releasing resins in finishing
PossibleAntimony in polyester
The North Face
Summit Fastpack GORE-TEX Hiking Boot
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAdhesive volatiles and off-gassing
PossibleDye and pigment stability in synthetic textiles
ReportedThermal degradation of GORE-TEX bonding under extreme heat
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 The North Face.
- We flag Adhesive volatiles and off-gassing, Dye and pigment stability in synthetic textiles and Thermal degradation of GORE-TEX bonding under extreme heat on the The North Face and not on the La Sportiva.
- The La Sportiva is synthetic textile with Gore-Tex membrane waterproof layer where the The North Face is GORE-TEX membrane (polytetrafluoroethylene-based waterproof layer) + nylon/synthetic 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