Men Running shoes Mizuno Neo Lumina Gtx vs Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes: which is safer?

New Balance Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Men Running shoes Mizuno Neo Lumina Gtx

Mizuno

Men Running shoes Mizuno Neo Lumina Gtx

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Mesh/synthetic upper with Gore-Tex waterproof membrane

Confidence

45%

LikelyPFAS in Gore-Tex membrane

PossibleAntimony in polyester fiber

PossibleMicroplastic shedding from synthetic upper

Our pick

New Balance Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes

New Balance

Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 57/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Mesh upper, Fresh Foam midsole, rubber outsole

Confidence

72%

PossibleAzo dyes and color-based toxins

PossibleAntimony in polyester

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag PFAS in Gore-Tex membrane, Antimony in polyester fiber and Microplastic shedding from synthetic upper on the Mizuno and not on the New Balance.
  • We flag Azo dyes and color-based toxins and Antimony in polyester on the New Balance and not on the Mizuno.
  • The Mizuno is Mesh/synthetic upper with Gore-Tex waterproof membrane where the New Balance is Mesh upper, Fresh Foam midsole, rubber outsole, 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 New Balance is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Mizuno grade, at 45% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.

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 running & athletic shoes: see the full ranking