Pulse Performance Insoles vs Propel Performance Insoles: which is safer?
PowerStep Pulse Performance Insoles is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Powerstep
Pulse Performance Insoles
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Good 57/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
EVA foam, gel, fabric blend
Confidence
72%
PossibleAzo dyes in fabric blend
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in fabric finishing
Spenco
Propel Performance Insoles
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Poor 43/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 4
Material
foam cushioning, gel, fabric blend
Confidence
72%
PossibleAzo dyes in topsheet fabric
PossibleFormaldehyde in textile finish
ReportedPolyurethane foam degradation over time
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes in fabric blend and Formaldehyde resins in fabric finishing on the Powerstep and not on the Spenco.
- We flag Azo dyes in topsheet fabric, Formaldehyde in textile finish, Polyurethane foam degradation over time and Gel layer contamination if damaged on the Spenco and not on the Powerstep.
- The Powerstep is EVA foam, gel, fabric blend where the Spenco is foam cushioning, gel, fabric blend, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
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 synthetic athletic insoles & orthotics: see the full ranking