Men's Mizuno Wave Rider 29 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.
Mizuno
Men's Mizuno Wave Rider 29
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating textile coating
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in adhesives and finishes
ReportedMicroplastic shedding from mesh and synthetic upper
Our pick
New Balance
Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes and color-based toxins
PossibleAntimony in polyester
Where these two actually differ
- We flag PFAS in DWR textile coating, Formaldehyde resins in adhesives and finishes and Microplastic shedding from mesh and 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 textile upper with rubber sole, likely DWR treated 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.
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