Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER vs Women's White Ledge Mid Hiking Boot: 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
Timberland
Women's White Ledge Mid Hiking Boot
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 8/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
Leather upper, rubber sole with waterproof treatment
Confidence
45%
PossibleAzo dyes (leather/textile dyeing)
PossibleFormaldehyde resins (finishing treatments)
PossibleRubber sole degradation and microparticles
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Volatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing from adhesives on the Mephisto and not on the Timberland.
- We flag Azo dyes (leather/textile dyeing), Formaldehyde resins (finishing treatments) and Rubber sole degradation and microparticles on the Timberland and not on the Mephisto.
- The Mephisto is leather, textile, rubber sole where the Timberland is Leather upper, rubber sole with waterproof treatment, 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