Merrell (company)
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Type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Footwear, textile |
Founded | 1981 |
Founders | Clark Matis Randy Merrell Lou-Ann Merrell John Schweizer |
Headquarters | , |
Key people | Christopher Hufnagel, President |
Products | Hiking boots, athletic shoes, sandals, jackets, knit caps, gloves, t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, and socks, backpacks, stuff sacks and bags. |
Parent | Wolverine World Wide |
Website | merrell.com |
Merrell is an American manufacturing company of footwear products. It was founded by Clark Matis, Randy Merrell, and John Schweizer in 1981 as a maker of high-performance hiking boots. Since 1997, the company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolverine World Wide. Products currently commercialized by Merrell include hiking boots, athletic shoes, sandals, jackets, knit caps, gloves, t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, and socks. Other accessories include backpacks, stuff sacks, and bags.
History[edit]
1981–1986[edit]

Merrell was established in 1981 when two executives for the Rossignol ski company, Clark Matis and John Schweizer, launched a new maker of hiking boots. The pair joined forces with Randal Ivan Merrell (R.I. Merrell), a maker of praised custom boots which retailed for $500 a pair.[1] Matis set to work designing a more affordable high-performance boot, which was developed in 1982. Plans were made for production of the new line in factories located in Italy, a leading exporter of footwear to the world market at the time.[1]
In 1983, the new Merrell company delivered its first product to the market, making shipments to a pair of east coast retailers specializing in hiking gear.[1]
In 1986, Randy Merrell sought to return to his previous life as a maker of custom boots and sold his share of the company bearing his name. That same year the company sold its 25,000th pair of boots.[1]
1987–1992[edit]
In 1987, Merrell was purchased by Karhu. The new owners moved production of Merrell products to Asia, reducing retail prices and expanding sales. In 1988, sales of Merrell products topped the $4 million mark.[1]
A period of rapid growth for Merrell followed with 1989 sales increasing by 50%, to the $6 million mark. By 1990, some 300,000 pairs of shoes and boots were being sold annually, with sales for the year topping the $10 million mark for the first time. The company became a global enterprise, with divisions established in Canada, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and the United States.[1]
The year 1992 saw another doubling of the company's sales volume, topping the $20 million mark. By the middle of the decade, Merrell products were being sold in 22 countries.[1]
1993–2007[edit]

In 1997, Karhu sold Merrell to Wolverine World Wide, a large footwear corporation which manufactures Hush Puppies shoes and Wolverine brand boots. In the year of the Wolverine acquisition, Merrell sales volume totaled $23 million.[2]
Wolverine introduced a new lighter-weight sensibility to the line, beginning with a trail running shoe called the "Jungle Runner".[3] This initial foray into lightweight footwear was not a commercial success, but a team led by Clark Matis came up with the idea of using a very aggressive trail running outsole with a casual slip-on upper made of pigskin suede, a material previously perfected and used extensively in the Hush Puppies line.[3]
The work of Matis' design group culminated with the introduction of what would become the brand's signature shoe, the "Jungle Moc." The new product was a success, with total shipments of Jungle Mocs hitting 3.5 million pairs by 2002 and 10 million by 2009.[1]
In 2007, the Merrell line was expanded to include apparel and accessories. By 2010, Merrell products were being sold in 151 countries.[1] The brand generates the most revenue in Wolverine World Wide's portfolio.[4]
2008–present[edit]
In 2015, Merrell announced its partnership with Tough Mudder to host over 60 Tough Mudder events in six countries.[5]
On November 30, 2022, Merrell was voted the Brand of the Year at the Footwear News Achievement Awards (FNAA).[6][7] In the third quarter of sales that ended Oct. 1, 2022, Merrell posted its total revenue of $198.6 million, up 33.6% since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[7]
In 2023, Merrell was rated the top barefoot running shoe for beginners.[8] The idea behind a minimalist running shoe is less cushioning and support for more foot engagement.[9] Along with the barefoot running shoes, Merrell has been called one of the top beginner hiking boot companies. As stated in The Strategist, The Merrell Moab 3 is "waterproof, sturdy, and relatively affordable ... a classic".[10]
Philanthropy[edit]
In partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Merrell has created the Changing Nature of Work Award, which sponsors projects related to parks and recreation.[11]
Footnotes[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Niemi, Wayne. (January 17, 2011). "Upward Bound". Footwear News. Vol. 67, no. 2. p. 18.
- ^ Niemi, Wayne. (January 17, 2011). "Making Merrell". Footwear News. Vol. 67, no. 2. p. 13.
- ^ a b Niemi, Wayne. (January 17, 2011). "The Next Chapter: Wolverine President and CEO Blake Krueger Reveals How the Brand Plans to Exploit New Growth Opportunities". Footwear News. Vol. 67, no. 2. p. 14.
- ^ Garner, Stephen (November 9, 2022). "Wolverine Stock Slides as Company Misses Revenue and Profit Targets in Q3". Footwear News. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
- ^ Mudder, Tough. "Tough Mudder Introduces Merrell As Presenting Partner For Global Event Series". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- ^ "Merrell® to Be Honored as Brand of the Year at 36th Annual Footwear News Achievement Awards". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- ^ a b Verry, Peter (2022-11-30). "How Merrell's Focus on Women and Product Innovation Earned It the 2022 FNAA Brand of the Year Award". Footwear News. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- ^ "The Best Barefoot Shoes for Walking or Running". Wired. 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- ^ "These Minimalist Running Shoes Mimic the Feeling of Running Barefoot". Runner's World. 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- ^ Corsillo, Katherine Gillespie, Liza (2023-02-03). "The 13 Best Women's Hiking Boots and Shoes". The Strategist. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Verry, Peter (August 9, 2022). "Merrell Created an Award Honoring Those Making the Outdoors Better for All". Footwear News. Retrieved 2023-01-15.