PFAS20/ 100Bad
Overall0/ 100Bad
adidas Men's Terrex Tracefinder 2 Climaproof Trail Running Shoes

Adidas · Running & Athletic Shoes

adidas Men's Terrex Tracefinder 2 Climaproof Trail Running Shoes

Bad

Skip until Adidas discloses Climaproof coating composition.

Verdict · SkipPFAS-treated upper with Adidas's silent stance on water-repellent coating composition makes this shoe unsuitable until full disclosure.

Adidas does not disclose whether Climaproof water-repellent coating treatment contains PFAS. Trail shoe waterproofing typically relies on fluorochemicals; lack of transparency warrants caution.

Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.

Material

Textile upper with Climaproof water-repellent coating treatment

Lab data

No public lab test

What adidas Men's Terrex Tracefinder 2 is made of, ingredients and materials

The Terrex Tracefinder 2 upper is constructed from textile (likely polyester or nylon blend) treated with Climaproof, Adidas's proprietary water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish. water-repellent coating treatments on performance footwear are historically applied as fluorinated coatings to repel moisture without waterproofing completely, which allows the shoe to breathe. The specific chemical composition of Climaproof has not been publicly disclosed by Adidas, making it impossible to assess whether it contains long-chain or emerging PFAS alternatives.

What’s concerning

♾️

Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment

Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.

65/ 100
♾️

Category baseline

The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.

70/ 100
♾️

No PFAS disclosure

No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.

85/ 100
💨

Formaldehyde / VOCs

Textile uppers in trail shoes often receive formaldehyde-based resins for wrinkle resistance and shape retention. No evidence of formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releaser absence has been published for Adidas Terrex textiles; this is standard risk in the category unless certified otherwise.

Source, ATSDR ↗
70/ 100
🎨

Azo dyes in polyester upper

If the upper contains polyester (common in Adidas performance footwear), synthetic azo dyes are a typical manufacturing step. Adidas does not disclose dye chemistry for individual shoe models, so presence of restricted azo compounds cannot be ruled out.

70/ 100
⚠️

Antimony in polyester fibers

Polyester production often uses antimony trioxide as a catalyst. Adidas does not publish antimony content or catalyst disclosure for Terrex textiles; migration risk is low in finished footwear but remains undisclosed.

70/ 100
🫧

Microplastics

Synthetic textile uppers shed microfibers through wear and washing. Trail running shoes undergo heavy abrasion; Adidas has not acknowledged or quantified microplastic shedding from Terrex models, though the material class is known to contribute to microplastic pollution.

Source, EPA ↗
45/ 100
⏳

Coating degradation and leachate composition unknown

Climaproof will degrade with use and washing; the breakdown products and any leachates from this proprietary coating are not characterized in public literature. Without composition disclosure, degradation hazards cannot be assessed.

45/ 100

The full breakdown

The brand's record and disclosure

Adidas has not published ingredient transparency for its water-repellent coating treatments or committed to PFAS-free alternatives across its footwear line. The brand does not list Climaproof composition in product documentation or sustainability reports. This silence is notable in an industry where competitors (Salomon, Merrell) have begun disclosing or phasing out fluorinated water-repellent coating in favor of non-fluorinated options, making Adidas's stance a gap in consumer information.

How it compares in its category

Trail running shoes universally employ water-repellent coating treatments; however, many mid-to-premium brands now offer models with non-fluorinated or disclosed water-repellent coating chemistry. Adidas's refusal to specify Climaproof places this shoe below competitors on transparency, even if water-repellence performance is comparable. Alternatives like Salomon Speedcross or Merrell Moab lines include or clearly label fluorine-free water-repellent coating options, giving consumers a choice Adidas does not offer here.

If you buy it

Washing in cold water with mild detergent will gradually reduce water-repellent coating efficacy; reapplication of aftermarket non-fluorinated water-repellent coating sprays is possible but means compounding the original coating. Avoid machine drying and heat above 60 degrees Celsius, as high temperature can degrade both textile and coating. Replace when the upper shows visible wear, creasing, or water pooling rather than beading. This shoe carries hidden chemical exposure that cannot be quantified without manufacturer disclosure, which undermines informed choice.

What we don’t know

Basis
Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
Lab test
None on record for this exact product
Brand statement
Adidas has made a specific claim

Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.

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How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.