Women's Neo Vista 2 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
Women's Neo Vista 2
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 5
Material
Synthetic mesh upper, likely with water-repellent coating water-repellent finish
Confidence
45%
LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating water-repellent coating
PossibleFormaldehyde in sizing/finishing resins
PossibleAzo dyes in synthetic mesh colorants
Our pick
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 DWR water-repellent coating, Formaldehyde in sizing/finishing resins, Azo dyes in synthetic mesh colorants and Antimony in polyester textile 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 Synthetic mesh upper, likely with DWR water-repellent finish 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 →
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