Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes vs Men's On Cloud 5: which is safer?
New Balance Women's Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Shoes is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
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
On Running
Men's On Cloud 5
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 4
Material
Knit textile upper with foam/rubber midsole; waterproof treatment likely applied
Confidence
55%
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in textile finishing
PossibleAzo dyes in knit upper
ReportedMicroplastic shedding from foam midsole degradation
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes and color-based toxins and Antimony in polyester on the New Balance and not on the On Running.
- We flag Formaldehyde resins in textile finishing, Azo dyes in knit upper, Microplastic shedding from foam midsole degradation and Glue and solvent residues in midsole-upper bonding on the On Running and not on the New Balance.
- The New Balance is Mesh upper, Fresh Foam midsole, rubber outsole where the On Running is Knit textile upper with foam/rubber midsole; waterproof treatment likely applied, 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