TX5 GTX Men's vs Women's Offtrail Hike LT Mid Gore-Tex Hiking Boots: which is safer?
These two grade almost identically. Pick on price and preference; neither has a PFAS edge.
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
Women's Offtrail Hike LT Mid Gore-Tex Hiking Boots
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleTeflon-type coating/Teflon-family coating degradation and microparticle release
PossibleAdhesive and polyurethane off-gassing
PossibleMold and bacterial growth in insole padding or collar
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 PTFE/fluoropolymer degradation and microparticle release, Adhesive and polyurethane off-gassing and Mold and bacterial growth in insole padding or collar 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 (fluoropolymer-based waterproof layer), 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