The Merrell History

In 1981 Clark Matis, Randy Merrell, and John Schweitzer created MERRELL FOOTWEAR in Waitsfield, Vermont. In that year Founder Randy Merrell made his first pair of hiking boots. A snug heel, precise instep and generous toe–box became Randy Merrell’s signature fit. Each pair of Randy Merrell’s new hiking boots cost $500 to make. The waiting list for his handcrafted boots quickly grew out six months.

The rugged Utah terrain served as the perfect backdrop to test the shoes that the company was producing. Merrell shoes started to provide serious outdoors types with the durable and supportive footwear that they would need to move mountains. Merrell Shoes go from the Amazon Jungle to the Urban Jungle. Merrell believes that the streets of New York are no different than the trails of Shenandoah National Park. They achieve unsurpassed quality and comfort by utilizing technologies that have never been seen on footwear before.

 
In the first year of making boots, Backpacker Magazine named Merrell’s boots the most functional and comfortable in North America. As the needs of the outdoor scene have changed, so too has Merrell's approach to satisfying those needs. Over time, the concept of "outdoor" has expanded to include all types of activities and environments - both natural and urban.

 
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