Merrell Women's Fashion Brand

When women get out and hit the road or mountain trails, they apply their own brand of strength, agility and natural athleticism to the challenges of the outdoors. The right gear can help you conquer many obstacles, whether you are a casual walker or a serious hiker. This is why the women's collection from Merrell includes all the right shoes and outdoor gear and apparel for maximum protection and comfort. In addition to footwear like women's hiking boots and shoes, Merrell has the right tees, tanks, pants, skirts, socks, insoles, beanies and backpacks - the full kit list this page shops from.

In 1983, the first Merrell products were delivered to market. That same year they introduced their first women's hiking boot with QForm comfort technology, specially designed to fit the unique profile, bone structure and stride of female hikers, for greater comfort and performance. The founding-era decision deserves emphasis: in 1983, at the company's market debut, the women's boot was not a scaled-down men's model but a design built around female profile, bone structure and stride - the QForm idea that still frames how its women's footwear should be evaluated.

From the Eagle to Wolverine: The Record in Dates

Merrell is an American footwear company founded by Clark Matis, Randy Merrell and John Schweizer as a maker of high-performance hiking boots. In 1985 they launched the Eagle model, which combined running shoe performance with backcountry utility to create lighter and faster footwear for the trail; it was the first of its kind in Merrell history and marked the beginning of their movement towards ground-breaking multi-sport technology. In 1993 they released their first cross-trainer model. Since 1997 the company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of shoe industry giant Wolverine World Wide.

Those dates give the shopper the brand's three eras: the boot-maker founding (to 1985), the multi-sport expansion the Eagle began (1985-1997) and the Wolverine era since. Exploration and following their own path has been in the Merrell brand nature since day one, and today the company continues to make footwear, apparel and accessories of the kind its own people wear outdoors. Judge a current women's shoe against the era that invented its category: a cross-trainer descends from the 1993 decision, a trail shoe from the Eagle's lighter-and-faster brief.

Shopping the Women's Kit

Shop footwear first, as the company's history instructs, and use the QForm standard as the test: a women's Merrell boot or shoe should fit the female profile it claims to be designed for - heel hold, arch placement and toe room in proportion, not a men's last in a smaller size. Then build outward through the kit list above - tees, tanks, pants, skirts, socks, insoles, beanies and backpacks - remembering the balance: gear does not define your outdoor lifestyle, but it can enhance your experience and make it much more enjoyable.

The brand's official site, merrell.com, is linked in the references, along with Apparel Search's own Merrell company profile and the Wolverine World Wide profile in this page's links. A 1983 debut that arrived with a women's-specific boot, an Eagle in 1985 that started a multi-sport movement, a first cross-trainer in 1993 and a Wolverine home since 1997: Merrell is the M letter's outdoor footwear house, and its women's range is bought on fit technology first.

Photos