Mohawk SmartStrand is an excellent carpet fiber. I am not sure out Shaw. Remember each flooring dealer is aligned with different manufacturers and will push their aligned manufacturer's brands.

To learn more about which carpet construction type is best for your different rooms and different traffic areas see the link below. A frieze is very tightly twisted and will be very durable in high traffic areas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Types of carpet construction choices

I work with a store who is one of the top retailers for Smartstrand. In four yrs there has been nary a complaint regarding this product. I sold it a friend of mine who has cats and lots of skylights so fading was a big concern. After two yrs it still looks new and is pretty impervious to stains from cat thrown up that didnt' survive the former nylon and wool carpets. It has a soft feel and looks great. Smartstrand is sort of in a league of its own. Shaw is a relative newcomer.

ClearTouch is PET polyester - totally different than SmartStrand and has very little resistance to traffic. It also has a heavy treatment of R2X on it - a stain and soil resistance chemical.

SmartStrand needs no chemicals since the protection is built in.

SmartStrand is a much better option!