Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER vs Women's Ousel Mid B-Dry: which is safer?
Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Mephisto
Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Good 59/100
Verdict
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Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
leather, textile, rubber sole
Confidence
55%
PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing from adhesives
Oboz
Women's Ousel Mid B-Dry
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
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Hazard flags
⚑ 5
Material
Nubuck leather, fabric lining, B-Dry waterproof membrane
Confidence
45%
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in textile lining and dyes
PossibleAzo dyes in leather and fabric coloring
PossibleHeavy metals in leather tanning (chromium, cobalt, nickel)
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Volatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing from adhesives on the Mephisto and not on the Oboz.
- We flag Formaldehyde resins in textile lining and dyes, Azo dyes in leather and fabric coloring, Heavy metals in leather tanning (chromium, cobalt, nickel) and PTFE or fluorinated polymer fume inhalation during heat exposure on the Oboz and not on the Mephisto.
- The Mephisto is leather, textile, rubber sole where the Oboz is Nubuck leather, fabric lining, B-Dry waterproof membrane, 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