The Merrill Shoes Company began with the objective of crafting a superior hiking boot in 1981. Since that time, they have expanded their footwear collection to handle a wide variety of terrains from the urban jungle of Miami to the trails of the Shenandoah National Park. Their main objective always is to promote an active lifestyle for men, women and children to enjoy with footwear that can handle the challenge. As a matter of fact, starting with their headquarters in the rugged backdrop of Utah, this served as the optimal testing grounds for their hiking boots. Merrill invested heavily in innovative technology that could easily navigate this rugged landscape which still appears in their varied collection of moccasins, sports shoes, sandals, slides and boots today. With the advent of people becoming more fitness conscious, Merrill has evolved to meet their demands. So, whether the endeavor is rock climbing, trail hiking, running, or sight seeing, Merrill specifically designed their sports shoes to meet the unique demands of that particular sport. All along the journey, Merrill never compromised on comfort or style and that's impressive.
Advanced Characteristics of Merrill Footwear
By pioneering research in footwear, the Merrill shoe company has shown a committment to research. The resulting benefits to its clients is superior comfort, stability, fit and control. These exclusive features can only be found on their shoes collection. Many of these features were crafted to accomodate the varied demands of the wearer whether it be indulging the unique properties of the female foot, or if you're an outdoors hiker or even just looking for a super comfortable and supportive shoe for walking. They have integrated specific features based on the particular way you would use that shoe. For instance, Merrill developed a patented Q-Form cushioning system which takes into account the anatomy of the female foot. Such physical properties as a women’sfoot usually being narrower than a man’s at the ball, heel and Achilles tendon. Women also have proportionally elongated toes than a man's foot and also a higher instep and arch. Q-Form was designed to deliver a properly sequenced cushioning and was named after the Q-Angle which is the angle found between the hip and the knee which is more pronounced for a woman. Such attention to detail produces a shoe which delivers exceptional support, improved performance, more optimal alignment, and reduces shoe wear.
Well Deserved Industry Accolades
In an industry where some designers have been in business for over one hundred years, like Birkenstock, the Merrill shoe company has managed to earn the accomplishment of being named "Footwear Brand of the Year" in a relatively short time span of 26 years. The industry's leading magazine awarded them this prestigious label in 2007. However, Merrill is no stranger to being recognized as a footwear leader before this. As another example, in 1988 Backpacker Magazine identified their leather boot the Best Hiking Boot. In 1999, yet again, Footwear News Magazine named Merrell the 1999 Athletic/Outdoor Brand of the Year. So, with accolades like these, its easy to understand why Merrill has flourished into a global force in the world of footwear designers.
