Men Mephisto Curt Mt SNEAKER vs Men's Sundowner GTX: 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
Vasque
Men's Sundowner GTX
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
Leather/textile upper with Gore-Tex waterproof membrane
Confidence
45%
LikelyPFAS in Gore-Tex waterproof membrane
PossibleChromium in leather tanning
PossibleAzo dyes in textile linings and accents
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Volatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing from adhesives on the Mephisto and not on the Vasque.
- We flag PFAS in Gore-Tex waterproof membrane, Chromium in leather tanning and Azo dyes in textile linings and accents on the Vasque and not on the Mephisto.
- The Mephisto is leather, textile, rubber sole where the Vasque is Leather/textile upper with Gore-Tex 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, 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