Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER vs Callsign Horizon Mid GTX Men's: 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
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
leather, textile, rubber sole
Confidence
55%
PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing from adhesives
SOREL
Callsign Horizon Mid GTX Men's
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 4
Material
Leather/nubuck upper, Gore-Tex GTX membrane lining
Confidence
35%
PossibleChrome and heavy metals in leather tanning
PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) from Gore-Tex adhesives and finishes
ReportedMicroplastic shedding from Gore-Tex membrane
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Volatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing from adhesives on the Mephisto and not on the SOREL.
- We flag Chrome and heavy metals in leather tanning, Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from Gore-Tex adhesives and finishes, Microplastic shedding from Gore-Tex membrane and Formaldehyde in leather finishing resins on the SOREL and not on the Mephisto.
- The Mephisto is leather, textile, rubber sole where the SOREL is Leather/nubuck upper, Gore-Tex GTX membrane lining, 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