The North Face · Waterproof Boots
The North Face Men's Hedgehog 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking
PFAS treatment likely; brand silent on specifics. Consider alternatives.
Hiking boots with waterproof treatment, standard for the category but unspecified chemistry. The North Face does not disclose whether water-repellent coating uses PFAS or fluorocarbon-free alternatives.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Textile upper with water-repellent coating waterproof treatment
Lab data
No public lab test
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What The North Face Men's Hedgehog 3 Mid is made of, ingredients and materials
The Hedgehog 3 uses a textile upper (likely nylon or polyester blend) bonded with a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating applied during manufacturing. water-repellent coating coatings are how hiking boots achieve water resistance without a full rubber shell; the trade-off is that fluorinated water-repellent coating formulations (which The North Face does not publicly disclose for this model) persist in the environment and body. The upper also contains synthetic materials that do not inherently leach or off-gas at normal wear temperatures, though textile dyes and finishing resins used in production can vary.
What’s concerning
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
PFAS
The North Face has not disclosed water-repellent coating chemistry for this model. Conventional fluorinated water-repellent coating compounds (e.g., PFOA, PFOS, GenX alternatives) are standard in mass-market hiking boot manufacturing unless otherwise certified. Graded separately at 20/100.
Source, ATSDR ↗Formaldehyde / VOCs
Hiking boot uppers are glued and may use formaldehyde-releasing adhesives or cross-linking resins in finishing; no test data or disclosure from The North Face confirms or rules this out. Off-gassing, if present, would be minimal at ambient temperatures and would diminish over weeks of airing.
Source, ATSDR ↗Microfiber shedding from synthetic textile upper
Polyester or nylon textiles shed fibers during wear and washing; this is not unique to The North Face but is a known environmental and potential inhalation pathway for synthetic microplastics from apparel.
What’s reassuring
Azo dyes and synthetic colorants in textile upper
No recalls or public warnings specific to azo dye or heavy metal pigment contamination in The North Face footwear are on record. Standard textile dyeing for outdoor apparel is regulated in major markets; no additional concern is documented for this model.
Flame retardants
Polyester textiles in apparel are not routinely treated with flame retardants; antimony use in modern apparel is not documented for this brand. No concern on record for hiking footwear in this category.
Source, EPA ↗The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
The North Face has not published specific water-repellent coating chemistry, PFAS elimination timelines, or third-party test reports for individual footwear lines. The brand joined the Outdoor Industry Association's AFIRM initiative in 2019, signaling commitment to reduce PFAS, but has not disclosed whether this model or its production year complies with lower-fluorine or fluorine-free alternatives. This silence on a commodity product at retail scale is characteristic of the outdoor apparel sector and does not indicate exceptional transparency or exceptional risk.
How it compares in its category
Most mainstream hiking boots at this price point ($120-160 USD range) use conventional fluorinated water-repellent coating; fully fluorine-free waterproof hiking footwear exists but is limited to niche or premium brands and often at higher cost or weight penalty. The Hedgehog 3 is a mid-range, mass-market product without certified third-party testing for PFAS or textile chemical compliance, placing it in the typical hazard profile for its category rather than above or below.
If you buy it
Wash after muddy or salt-water exposure to minimize microfiber and water-repellent coating residue accumulation in the wearer's immediate environment. Avoid applying commercial water-repellent coating sprays or washes to recoat the boot, as these introduce additional fluorinated compounds and are not necessary for normal hiking use; the factory water-repellent coating will degrade over 1-3 years of regular use, which is a natural replacement trigger. Store in a cool, dry place and do not machine wash or tumble dry, as heat and agitation can degrade the bond between upper and midsole and accelerate any coating breakdown.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 35% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- The North Face has made a specific claim
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
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Find an alternative on AmazonMore waterproof boots grades
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.