Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER vs Women's Fastpack Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots: 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
The North Face
Women's Fastpack Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 12/100
Verdict
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Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Synthetic upper (likely nylon/polyester blend) with water-repellent coating waterproof treatment, rubber/synthetic sole
Confidence
45%
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating (reported in category, not confirmed for this product)
PossibleAdhesive off-gassing (if present in midsole/sole bonding)
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Volatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing from adhesives on the Mephisto and not on the The North Face.
- We flag PFAS in DWR coating (reported in category, not confirmed for this product) and Adhesive off-gassing (if present in midsole/sole bonding) on the The North Face and not on the Mephisto.
- The Mephisto is leather, textile, rubber sole where the The North Face is Synthetic upper (likely nylon/polyester blend) with DWR waterproof treatment, rubber/synthetic sole, 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, which covers 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