Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER vs Women's Verto Alpine Mid GORE-TEX 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 Verto Alpine Mid GORE-TEX Boots
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
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Hazard flags
⚑ 5
Material
GORE-TEX membrane with synthetic uppers and rubber sole
Confidence
45%
LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating treatment (GORE-TEX)
PossibleFormaldehyde in synthetic textile finishes
PossibleAzo dyes or heavy metal pigments in colorants
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 treatment (GORE-TEX), Formaldehyde in synthetic textile finishes, Azo dyes or heavy metal pigments in colorants and Degradation and microplastic shedding from synthetic uppers on the The North Face and not on the Mephisto.
- The Mephisto is leather, textile, rubber sole where the The North Face is GORE-TEX membrane with synthetic uppers and rubber 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: 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