Nike Men's SFB 6" Shoes Golden Beige/Golden Beige/Sail
Military boot with likely water-repellent coating treatment; PFAS status unconfirmed by Nike.
SFB tactical boots use water-repellent coating coatings typical in combat footwear, likely containing PFAS. Nike provides no public disclosure of PFAS use or avoidance in this line.
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Material
Nylon mesh and synthetic uppers with water-repellent coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
Category baseline
clothing is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
PFAS
Military boots of this era typically use PFAS-based fluorocarbon water-repellent coating. Nike has not confirmed or denied PFAS chemistry for this model. water-repellent coating treatments degrade with use and washing, potentially mobilizing residual PFAS.
Source: ATSDR ↗Formaldehyde / VOCs
Nylon and synthetic uppers may contain residual formaldehyde from dye-fixation or wrinkle-resistance finishing. No recall or test data specific to this model exists; risk is low if finished to standard textile safety limits (e.g., Oeko-Tex).
Source: ATSDR ↗Azo dyes in synthetic materials
The Golden Beige colorway may use azo or reactive dyes in nylon or polyester components. Azo dyes can release aromatic amines under certain pH or temperature conditions. No specific testing results available for this product.
Adhesive and sole leachables
Synthetic shoe adhesives and rubber sole cements may contain plasticizers or volatile residues. Extended heat exposure (e.g., leaving in a hot car) could increase migration. Risk is typical for mass-produced footwear and not specific to Nike's manufacturing.
Coating durability and microfragmentation
As water-repellent coating degrades during wear, microscopic particles may be shed into soil or water. If PFAS-based, this could represent an indirect exposure pathway, though quantitative risk data are not available for this specific product.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
The SFB 6 uses nylon mesh uppers with synthetic overlays and a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish. water-repellent coating coatings on military and outdoor footwear are commonly applied using PFAS chemistry, though Nike does not publicly disclose the specific chemistry of this product's treatment. Nylon itself is stable and poses minimal chemical leaching risk during normal wear; the primary concern is the coating's composition and its degradation over time with washing or extended use.
The brand's record and disclosure
Nike has faced sustained pressure on PFAS use in water-resistant products but has not publicly committed to full PFAS phase-out or transparent labeling of affected SKUs. The company publishes sustainability reports but remains vague on water-repellent coating chemistry in footwear. No formal recall or safety alert exists for this model, and no third-party testing results are publicly available. Nike's silence on this specific product's water-repellent coating treatment is the core disclosure gap.
How it compares in its category
Military-style boots in this price and performance tier commonly use PFAS-based water-repellent coating treatments; non-fluorinated alternatives exist but are less common in tactical footwear due to performance trade-offs. Compared to minimalist or casual sneakers, this product carries higher inherent PFAS risk because water resistance is a core design function. Competitors like Salomon and Merrell have begun offering PFAS-free water treatments on some models, setting a higher disclosure standard.
If you buy it
Minimize washing in hot water and avoid commercial dry cleaning, which may accelerate coating breakdown and potential leaching. Inspect the sole and heel regularly for wear or delamination; replace when structural integrity declines. If worn near drinking water sources (e.g., fishing, hiking near springs), consider the unknown PFAS exposure pathway. Request Nike customer service documentation of the water-repellent coating chemistry; their silence suggests they have not adopted non-PFAS alternatives industry-wide.
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
- Nike has made none
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.