Merrell
American outdoor footwear and apparel brand known for hiking boots, trail shoes, sandals, and the Moab and Jungle Moc lines.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Merrell is an American outdoor footwear and apparel brand established in 1981 by Clark Matis, John Schweizer, and custom bootmaker Randal Ivan Merrell. The company began with an ambition to make high-performance hiking boots more accessible than the highly expensive custom boots associated with Merrell's original craft business. Its early products were developed in the United States and manufactured in Italy, and the first commercial shipments reached specialist hiking retailers in 1983. The brand's initial growth accelerated after Karhu acquired it in 1987. Production moved to Asia, allowing Merrell to lower prices and increase production capacity while expanding distribution beyond the United States. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, sales expanded rapidly, and Merrell established operations or distribution structures in Canada, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and the United States. By the middle of the 1990s, its products were sold in more than 20 countries. Wolverine World Wide acquired Merrell from Karhu in 1997. Under Wolverine, Merrell broadened its product strategy beyond traditional hiking boots. The company experimented with lighter footwear, including the Jungle Runner, before developing the Jungle Moc, a casual slip-on built around an aggressive outdoor outsole and a pigskin-suede upper. The Jungle Moc became one of the company's most commercially important products, with cumulative shipments reaching millions of pairs during the 2000s. Merrell's assortment now includes hiking boots, trail-running shoes, hiking and lifestyle footwear, sandals, approach shoes, minimalist and barefoot footwear, and outdoor clothing and accessories. Apparel and accessory categories added during the 2000s include jackets, knit caps, gloves, T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, socks, backpacks, stuff sacks, and bags. Its best-known product families include Moab hiking footwear, Jungle Moc casual outdoor shoes, Chameleon trail shoes, and footwear designed for trail running and minimal-footwear use. The brand positions itself between technical outdoor performance and everyday wear. It emphasizes comfort, durability, traction, weather protection, and ease of use, while offering products across accessible mid-market and premium segments. Merrell has maintained a strong association with hiking and trail activities but has also used casual silhouettes, lifestyle products, outdoor events, athlete partnerships, and environmental and recreation initiatives to reach consumers who may use outdoor footwear both on trails and in daily life. Merrell became a major international brand within Wolverine World Wide's portfolio. By 2010, its products were reported as being sold in 151 countries. In 2022, Merrell received Brand of the Year recognition at the Footwear News Achievement Awards. Recent editorial coverage has highlighted its Moab line as a dependable entry-level hiking option and its minimalist footwear as an approachable introduction to barefoot-style running. The company remains an active Wolverine World Wide brand with a global outdoor positioning.
History
Merrell was founded in 1981 by Clark Matis and John Schweizer, two executives associated with the Rossignol ski company, together with Randal Ivan Merrell, a craftsman known for producing highly regarded custom boots. Merrell's custom footwear reportedly sold at a price far above ordinary hiking footwear, so Matis began developing a more affordable boot that could retain a high level of outdoor performance. The first production plans involved Italian factories, reflecting Italy's importance in international footwear manufacturing at the time. The first Merrell products reached the market in 1983, when shipments were made to two specialist hiking retailers on the United States East Coast. In 1986, Randal Merrell sold his interest in the business so that he could return to custom bootmaking. The same year, the company sold its 25,000th pair of boots, indicating that the young brand had established a meaningful specialist-retail presence. Karhu acquired Merrell in 1987. The new ownership transferred manufacturing to Asia, a move that reduced costs, expanded capacity, and helped the brand reach a wider customer base. Merrell sales passed $4 million in 1988 and grew by roughly half in 1989. By 1990, the company was selling approximately 300,000 pairs of shoes and boots annually and had exceeded $10 million in sales. International operations or divisions were established in Canada, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and the United States. Sales volume doubled again by 1992, exceeding $20 million, and by the middle of the decade Merrell products were available in 22 countries. In 1997, Karhu sold Merrell to Wolverine World Wide, the American footwear group whose portfolio also included Wolverine and Hush Puppies. Merrell's reported sales volume at the time of the transaction was $23 million. Wolverine sought to extend the brand beyond conventional heavy hiking footwear by introducing lighter products. An early trail-running shoe, the Jungle Runner, did not become a major commercial success, but the design process led to a more effective product concept. Working with a design team led by Clark Matis, the company combined a highly aggressive trail outsole with a casual slip-on upper made from pigskin suede, a material familiar from Wolverine's Hush Puppies business. The resulting Jungle Moc became a signature Merrell product. Shipments reached 3.5 million pairs by 2002 and 10 million by 2009, helping establish the brand as both an outdoor specialist and a casual footwear business. Merrell expanded into apparel and accessories in 2007. Its wider assortment came to include outdoor clothing, headwear, gloves, socks, bags, and other equipment alongside hiking boots, trail shoes, sandals, and athletic footwear. By 2010, Merrell products were sold in 151 countries, making it one of the most internationally distributed brands in Wolverine World Wide's portfolio. In the 2010s and 2020s, Merrell continued to connect technical outdoor footwear with lifestyle use, trail running, obstacle-course events, minimalist footwear, and recreation-focused partnerships. The brand worked with Tough Mudder, supported parks and recreation projects through an initiative with the National Recreation and Park Association, and promoted athlete-led trail challenges. In 2022 it received Brand of the Year recognition from the Footwear News Achievement Awards. In 2023, media coverage highlighted both its beginner-friendly hiking products and its barefoot-style running shoes. Merrell remains an active Wolverine World Wide brand headquartered in Rockford, Michigan.
- 2022
Footwear News names Merrell Brand of the Year
[1]Merrell receives Brand of the Year recognition at the Footwear News Achievement Awards.
- 2010
Global distribution reaches 151 countries
[1]Merrell products are reported as being sold in 151 countries.
- 2009
Jungle Moc shipments reach ten million pairs
[1]Cumulative Jungle Moc shipments reach approximately 10 million pairs.
- 2007
Apparel and accessories are added
[1]Merrell expands its range beyond footwear into apparel and accessories.
- 2002
Jungle Moc shipments reach 3.5 million pairs
[1]The Jungle Moc becomes a major commercial success, with cumulative shipments reaching approximately 3.5 million pairs.
- 1997
Wolverine World Wide acquires Merrell
[1]Wolverine World Wide purchases Merrell from Karhu and makes it part of its footwear-brand portfolio.
- 1992
Sales exceed twenty million dollars
[1]The company doubles sales volume compared with the preceding period and exceeds $20 million in sales.
- 1990
Sales exceed ten million dollars
[1]Merrell sells roughly 300,000 pairs annually and passes the ten-million-dollar sales mark.
- 1987
Karhu acquires Merrell
[1]Karhu purchases Merrell and moves production to Asia, supporting lower prices and broader distribution.
- 1986
Founder exits custom-boot partnership
[1]Randal Merrell sells his share of the company, and Merrell records sales of its 25,000th pair of boots.
Products and positioning
Mid-market to premium outdoor footwear and apparel combining hiking performance, comfort, durability, traction, and everyday versatility.
Hiking footwear
Moab
The Moab family is Merrell's best-known hiking platform. It is associated with durable construction, traction-focused outsoles, comfort-oriented fit, and versions designed for wet-weather protection. The line is positioned as a practical choice for day hiking and general outdoor use, with editorial coverage describing the Moab 3 as sturdy, waterproof in selected versions, and relatively affordable compared with many technical hiking alternatives.
Casual outdoor footwear
Jungle Moc
The Jungle Moc is a casual slip-on built from the design work undertaken after Wolverine World Wide acquired Merrell. It combines a grippy, trail-inspired outsole with a relaxed pigskin-suede upper. The shoe helped Merrell move beyond specialist hiking retailers and became one of the company's signature products, reaching millions of cumulative shipments during the 2000s.
Trail and outdoor footwear
Chameleon
Chameleon is a Merrell trail-footwear family designed for outdoor movement on varied surfaces. Products in the line have been associated with lightweight construction, outdoor traction, and adaptable use between trail activities and casual wear. It is one of the product families commonly identified with Merrell's broader trail and hiking assortment.
Trail-running shoes
Trail-running footwear
Merrell's trail-running range applies the brand's outdoor footwear expertise to running on dirt, rock, and mixed technical terrain. The assortment includes conventional cushioned trail shoes as well as lighter and more minimalist designs. These products emphasize grip, ground contact, flexibility, and protection appropriate to off-road running.
Minimalist running shoes
Barefoot and minimalist footwear
Merrell's barefoot and minimalist footwear reduces cushioning and structural support compared with conventional athletic shoes in order to encourage greater foot movement and ground engagement. The category has helped the brand reach runners interested in a more natural-feeling stride, while editorial coverage has identified some Merrell models as approachable options for beginners.
Outdoor apparel and equipment · 2007
Outdoor apparel and accessories
Merrell's non-footwear range includes jackets, knit caps, gloves, T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, socks, backpacks, stuff sacks, and bags. These products extend the brand's outdoor identity into clothing and carrying equipment, supporting hiking, travel, trail activities, and everyday outdoor use.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Base to Thunderhead fastest-known-time challenge
United States
Merrell invited six athletes to race up technical dirt trails at Steamboat Ski Resort in Colorado. The 3.2-mile course climbed 2,200 feet at an average grade of approximately 12 percent, and the brand promised sponsorship for the top male and female fastest-known-time performances.
Outcome. Morgan Elliott recorded the initial men's Base to Thunderhead fastest-known time, while Mercedes Siegle-Gaither and Sara Aranda tied for the women's record.
- 2015Tough Mudder partnership
United States · United Kingdom · Canada · Australia · Germany · Other Tough Mudder event markets
Merrell partnered with Tough Mudder to participate in and support more than 60 obstacle-course events in six countries. The collaboration connected Merrell's footwear positioning with endurance, mud-running, and outdoor challenge communities.
Outcome. Expanded brand engagement in obstacle-course racing and outdoor endurance events.
- Changing Nature of Work Award
United States
In partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association, Merrell created the Changing Nature of Work Award to support projects connected with parks and recreation. The initiative linked the brand to public outdoor spaces and community recreation.
Outcome. Supported parks and recreation projects; the reference material does not specify the total number or value of awards.
Brand decisions
2023
Promotion of barefoot and minimalist running footwearProduct launchBackground
Growing interest in minimalist running increased attention on shoes offering less cushioning and support.
Action taken
Merrell continued promoting barefoot-style and minimalist running products alongside its conventional trail and hiking footwear.
Aftermath
Wired identified Merrell as a strong beginner-oriented barefoot-running option, increasing editorial visibility for the category.
2007
Expansion into apparel and accessoriesStrategyBackground
Merrell had become established in footwear and sought to extend its outdoor identity into adjacent categories.
Action taken
The brand added apparel and accessories, including clothing, headwear, gloves, socks, backpacks, and bags.
Aftermath
Merrell became a broader outdoor lifestyle brand rather than a footwear-only specialist.
1997
Acquisition by Wolverine World WideM&ABackground
Karhu sold Merrell after the brand had developed an international specialist-footwear business.
Action taken
Wolverine World Wide acquired Merrell and incorporated it into its brand portfolio.
Aftermath
Wolverine broadened Merrell's product strategy, introduced lighter footwear concepts, and supported the development of the Jungle Moc, which became a signature product.
1987
Sale to KarhuM&ABackground
Merrell was a young specialist hiking-boot company seeking greater scale and wider distribution.
Action taken
Karhu acquired Merrell and shifted production to Asia.
Aftermath
The change reduced retail prices, increased production capacity, and supported rapid sales and international expansion during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Recent events
Merrell releases Moab Speed and Moab Flight[3]
Reported:
Merrell expanded its Moab hiking footwear collection with the Moab Speed hiking shoe and Moab Flight trail running shoe, which the company said were available on Merrell.com and at select retailers around the world.
Merrell launches Hike Your Turf campaign[4]
Reported:
Merrell unveiled its digital “Hike Your Turf” campaign, which encourages people to explore outdoor spaces in their cities, hometowns, and neighborhoods. The campaign was set to run across digital and social platforms for five weeks.
Sources4 sources
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