For all the Merrell fans in Melbourne you can now see the full Merrell range at the very first Victorian Merrell flagship store - located at 220 Collins Street, Melbourne City. The new store which opens today will carry the full range of Men’s and Women’s Merrell footwear and selected apparel.
Brett and the team have more than 25 years combined experience working within the footwear industry and there isn’t much they don’t know about shoes. So if you’re in the area, why not drop in for a visit we would love to see you!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Top Reasons for Using Merrell Shoes for Outdoor Activities
If you love the outdoors, then you need to be equipped for either great or foul weather. This is not only with your clothing but also with your shoes. Merrell shoes have been around for three decades providing customers with the best footwear for any outdoor activity. With this experience, you can trust any pair from Merrell to provide you the comfort you need while outside. This is especially the case if you love hiking, running or walking. These shoes outdo themselves on slippery and rocky terrain.
In order for Merrell shoes to give great performance in your outdoor activities, they must meet some standards. These standards are met in the manufacture of the shoes that make them best suit in any weather. For starters, if you decide to hike in winter, you will need to have waterproof shoes. You do not want to get your precious feet wet and numb, as this will keep you from enjoying your activities.
It is for this reason that you can find shoes made from watertight materials such as optishell fabric and GORE-TEX. Similarly, you can hike with ease due to the Vibram traction provided by the shoes. The shoes also have insulators to keep you warm in the cold weather. Such insulators include Thinsulate, Optiwarm fabric and Primaloft.
On the other hand, if you are more active in summer, then you will need the best set of shoes that will not get soggy from your sweat. Merrell shoes under this category are made from mesh fabrics as well as optiwick fabrics. These fabrics allow your feet to aerate when it gets hot and the sweat easily dries out to leave your feet comfortable enough to continue with your hobby.
While the above technologies make the shoes ideal for all weather, the shoes do not have boring styles. You can choose an interesting design that suits your individuality and that you can enjoy wearing without shame.
In order for Merrell shoes to give great performance in your outdoor activities, they must meet some standards. These standards are met in the manufacture of the shoes that make them best suit in any weather. For starters, if you decide to hike in winter, you will need to have waterproof shoes. You do not want to get your precious feet wet and numb, as this will keep you from enjoying your activities.
It is for this reason that you can find shoes made from watertight materials such as optishell fabric and GORE-TEX. Similarly, you can hike with ease due to the Vibram traction provided by the shoes. The shoes also have insulators to keep you warm in the cold weather. Such insulators include Thinsulate, Optiwarm fabric and Primaloft.
On the other hand, if you are more active in summer, then you will need the best set of shoes that will not get soggy from your sweat. Merrell shoes under this category are made from mesh fabrics as well as optiwick fabrics. These fabrics allow your feet to aerate when it gets hot and the sweat easily dries out to leave your feet comfortable enough to continue with your hobby.
While the above technologies make the shoes ideal for all weather, the shoes do not have boring styles. You can choose an interesting design that suits your individuality and that you can enjoy wearing without shame.
Coming Soon: Merrell’s Spring 2012 Barefoot Collection
The Natural Running Center’s shoe review editor is Nicholas Pang, who is also the founder and editorial mastermind of Minimalist Running Shoes, a popular blog where many runners and walkers first become aware of new models, brands, and footwear availability. Nick has both his ears and feet to the ground when it comes to minimalism and barefoot-style shoes. He personally tests many of the models and is like a one-man Consumer Reports laboratory. (No, he doesn’t run indoors on a treadmill; instead he prefers logging up to 30 weekly miles on a nearby high school track, roads, and trails.) This week, Nick featured something special on his blog that will leave runners excited, and is reposted here: Merrell’s upcoming new generation of shoes that will be available in Spring 2012. (Little surprise why the Coming Soon area of Natural Running Center’s shoe review section are some of the most popular pages on our site. Nick is in charge of Coming Soon as well.)
Anyway, here’s Nick on Merrell’s new lineup!:
Merrell is kicking into full gear with a slew of Generation 2.0 (Gen2) minimalist running shoes and new models for training, water sports, and wellness: Run, Train, Water, Life. I wrote about the Minimalist Lifestyle almost a year ago and boy, what a difference a year makes! I’ve tested over 50 minimal shoes in running (road and trail), fitness, casual, recovery, dress, and even golf since writing that article – 70+ and counting as of this writing. VIVOBAREFOOT (Evo, Neo, Ultra, Achilles, Aqua, Dharma) and New Balance (Minimus Road, Trail, Life, Trainer) had a good start but no footwear manufacturer have done what Merrell did in one year — coming out with multiple products in multiple outdoor categories with a consistent barefoot platform. Simply amazing!
Barefoot Run
New for Spring 2012 are the Dash Glove and Bare Access ARC for women; Road Glove and Bare Access for men. The current Merrell Trail Glove and Pace Glove are also part of Barefoot Run. The Road and Dash Glove have synthetic leather and breathable air mesh uppers with reflective materials. They also have a fused rubber bumper. The midsole does not have the shock absorption plate found in the Trail Glove and that is probably what is allowing for a pancake flat landing for road running.
The Bare Access barefoot shoes are gateway or transitioning or bridging shoes for beginners and those taking the leap into better running form. They are all zero drop like the other barefoot shoes but with some cushioning to help you develop your form slowly. It is almost identical to the Road and Dash Glove except for the extra 8mm M-Bound cushioning and slightly different outsole lugs. Great for long runs or for those starting to transition to barefoot shoes.
In my opinion, the Merrell Barefoot Access is probably the shoe the masses are looking for: runners who are starting to ‘get it’ that minimal shoes are training tools for developing better running form and running injury-free for life. Throw in a gradual transition plan and they’re on their way enjoying running again – no more pain and no more injuries well into their senior years.
Barefoot Train
New for Spring 2012 is the Lithe MJ Glove for women. This is just a water-repellant version of the Pure Glove. The current Merrell Lithe Glove, Contour, Pure, Embark, True and Sonic Glove are also part of Barefoot Train.
Barefoot Water
All the barefoot shoes in this category are new for Spring 2012. They include the Swift and River Glove for women; Current and Rapid Glove for men.
The Current and Rapid Glove both have synthetic leather and air mesh uppers plus quick drying materials with drainage ports in the tool and heel with a similar outsole to the Road Glove. The Rapid Glove is lace-less with an adjustable instep strap.
Beside barefoot shoes, there are also sandals being introduced for Spring 2012: Pipidae and Hylidae Wrap for women; Hydro, Aqua, Batari and Paciki Wrap for men. The wraps all have synthetic leather uppers with neoprene/spandex lining, 6mm compression molded EVA midsole cushion, and 3mm sole lug depth.
Barefoot Life
Most of the shoes in Barefoot Life are new introductions for Spring 2012. They include Serene, Delight and Wonder Glove for women; Edge and Slant Glove for men. Current models include the Tough Glove and Power Glove but I believe the Power Glove is being discontinued. The Edge and Slant Glove has a similar platform as the Trail Glove but with cow suede uppers and a Nubuck leather rear foot sling.
Anyway, here’s Nick on Merrell’s new lineup!:
Merrell is kicking into full gear with a slew of Generation 2.0 (Gen2) minimalist running shoes and new models for training, water sports, and wellness: Run, Train, Water, Life. I wrote about the Minimalist Lifestyle almost a year ago and boy, what a difference a year makes! I’ve tested over 50 minimal shoes in running (road and trail), fitness, casual, recovery, dress, and even golf since writing that article – 70+ and counting as of this writing. VIVOBAREFOOT (Evo, Neo, Ultra, Achilles, Aqua, Dharma) and New Balance (Minimus Road, Trail, Life, Trainer) had a good start but no footwear manufacturer have done what Merrell did in one year — coming out with multiple products in multiple outdoor categories with a consistent barefoot platform. Simply amazing!
Barefoot Run
New for Spring 2012 are the Dash Glove and Bare Access ARC for women; Road Glove and Bare Access for men. The current Merrell Trail Glove and Pace Glove are also part of Barefoot Run. The Road and Dash Glove have synthetic leather and breathable air mesh uppers with reflective materials. They also have a fused rubber bumper. The midsole does not have the shock absorption plate found in the Trail Glove and that is probably what is allowing for a pancake flat landing for road running.
The Bare Access barefoot shoes are gateway or transitioning or bridging shoes for beginners and those taking the leap into better running form. They are all zero drop like the other barefoot shoes but with some cushioning to help you develop your form slowly. It is almost identical to the Road and Dash Glove except for the extra 8mm M-Bound cushioning and slightly different outsole lugs. Great for long runs or for those starting to transition to barefoot shoes.
In my opinion, the Merrell Barefoot Access is probably the shoe the masses are looking for: runners who are starting to ‘get it’ that minimal shoes are training tools for developing better running form and running injury-free for life. Throw in a gradual transition plan and they’re on their way enjoying running again – no more pain and no more injuries well into their senior years.
Barefoot Train
New for Spring 2012 is the Lithe MJ Glove for women. This is just a water-repellant version of the Pure Glove. The current Merrell Lithe Glove, Contour, Pure, Embark, True and Sonic Glove are also part of Barefoot Train.
Barefoot Water
All the barefoot shoes in this category are new for Spring 2012. They include the Swift and River Glove for women; Current and Rapid Glove for men.
The Current and Rapid Glove both have synthetic leather and air mesh uppers plus quick drying materials with drainage ports in the tool and heel with a similar outsole to the Road Glove. The Rapid Glove is lace-less with an adjustable instep strap.
Beside barefoot shoes, there are also sandals being introduced for Spring 2012: Pipidae and Hylidae Wrap for women; Hydro, Aqua, Batari and Paciki Wrap for men. The wraps all have synthetic leather uppers with neoprene/spandex lining, 6mm compression molded EVA midsole cushion, and 3mm sole lug depth.
Barefoot Life
Most of the shoes in Barefoot Life are new introductions for Spring 2012. They include Serene, Delight and Wonder Glove for women; Edge and Slant Glove for men. Current models include the Tough Glove and Power Glove but I believe the Power Glove is being discontinued. The Edge and Slant Glove has a similar platform as the Trail Glove but with cow suede uppers and a Nubuck leather rear foot sling.
REVIEW: Merrell Pace Glove shoes
Adventuretess' favorite paddling shoes are falling apart.
After serving her very well for 3 years on her frequent paddling trips the sole has started to come apart from the upper. Time for new ones.
While the Merrell Waterpro were a very good choice since they offer excellent support and a very sturdy sole (to protect the foot from sharp rocks and the occasional broken bottle) the upper part of the shoes had a lot of padding that took a long time to dry.
It was time to look at alternatives. Away from water sports, the emerging craze of barefoot running is taking the USA by storm, with Vibram Fivefingers being the leading brand. The low profile design appeared to suit the snug fit required in low volume kayaks.
Fivefingers offer minimal support and are very low profile however they only fit feet that are "square" in shape where the second toe is longer than the big toe. Fivefingers don't fit a lot of people.
Merrell has followed the new trend of barefoot running with a slightly beefier shoe that has more of traditional look but lacks the hefty padding in the sole.
This spring (Northern hemisphere) they released the Pace Glove.
Initially designed for running off-pavement the shoe has almost no cushioning and minimal fabric in the upper making an ideal candidate for a paddling shoe.
Since all its materials are synthetic the Pace Glove has no problem getting wet.
The sole is a Vibram offering (the absolute best grip and durability in the biz) has low profile lugs that offer outstanding traction on slippery boat ramps. The heel has a gentle curve that allows a comfortable rest of the foot when seated in the cockpit (no Achilles tendon dig-in either).
After serving her very well for 3 years on her frequent paddling trips the sole has started to come apart from the upper. Time for new ones.
While the Merrell Waterpro were a very good choice since they offer excellent support and a very sturdy sole (to protect the foot from sharp rocks and the occasional broken bottle) the upper part of the shoes had a lot of padding that took a long time to dry.
It was time to look at alternatives. Away from water sports, the emerging craze of barefoot running is taking the USA by storm, with Vibram Fivefingers being the leading brand. The low profile design appeared to suit the snug fit required in low volume kayaks.
Fivefingers offer minimal support and are very low profile however they only fit feet that are "square" in shape where the second toe is longer than the big toe. Fivefingers don't fit a lot of people.
Merrell has followed the new trend of barefoot running with a slightly beefier shoe that has more of traditional look but lacks the hefty padding in the sole.
This spring (Northern hemisphere) they released the Pace Glove.
Initially designed for running off-pavement the shoe has almost no cushioning and minimal fabric in the upper making an ideal candidate for a paddling shoe.
Since all its materials are synthetic the Pace Glove has no problem getting wet.
The sole is a Vibram offering (the absolute best grip and durability in the biz) has low profile lugs that offer outstanding traction on slippery boat ramps. The heel has a gentle curve that allows a comfortable rest of the foot when seated in the cockpit (no Achilles tendon dig-in either).
Merrell Shoes Helps Cure Outdoor Retailer Autumn Blues
With the abrupt end of the British summertime and the death of sandals sales, Merrell shoes give outdoor retailers a ray of hope amidst the cold, damp weather conditions.
It's all change in the outdoors industry and a little sooner than expected as heavy showers wash away the few remaining weeks of summer.
The early arrival of Autumn quashed end of summer sales, leaving many retailer struggling to clear stock in time for their next season of stock.
However, Merrell, a subsidiary of Wolverine World Wide inc, has come to the fore in this transitional period between light summer sandals and waterproof walking boots with their extensive range of Merrell shoes and boots.
With a focus on functional fashion to embrace the outdoors and a slogan to Get Outside, Merrell's impact on the outdoor market has been massive, inspiring both larger and smaller brands to adopt similar designs in order to provide walkers, hikers and adventurers with stylish and comfortable performance footwear.
In this way, Merrell's reputation for making a comfortable walking shoe or hiking boot is unsurpassed.
While other brands, such as Salomon, produce serious top of the range hiking boots; for times when the weather is cold, but not freezing and when it's raining, not pouring, then Merrell footwear really shines, offering the ideal balance between breathability and water resistance without being too warm.
Sports and outdoor specialist FitnessFootwear.com have a reputation for being the UK's #1 Merrell online store, firmly believing that they should never sell a shoe that their staff wouldn't wear.
"Merrell is the perfect Autumn brand" said Managing Director Luke Barlow, "they make some fantastic leaf kicking boots and when it comes to comfort, quality and design, the brand is our first recommendation for casual walkers or someone simply looking for good quality foorwear."
As a group who are fanatical about Merrell footwear, they are able to offer first hand advice about every product -a service few competitors can boast about.
This week sees the launch of Merrell's Autumn/Winter ranges which focus on synchronising the colour of their shoes with the seasonal surroundings.
Merrell Colour Stories range from mens autumnal terracotta and rust to womens winter violet, beautifully blending with the outdoor environments as well as the growing collection of Merrell outdoor apparel.
Following London Fashion Week, colour trend is at an all time high -another popular trend inspired by Merrell perhaps?
Championing Merrell's new 2010 Autumn range is the Merrell Refuge Pro GTX, a rugged, good looking walking trainer with wrap around fit, great grip and the perfect blend of waterproof protection, breathability and warmth for the cool, wet Autumn weather conditions.
Every year Merrell's business continues to grow with a reputation for comfortable, quality footwear preceding them.
With one foot in fashion, the other in function and a focus on comfortable, supporting walking shoes and hiking boots, Merrell is the definitive Autumn brand for everyday wear and casual walkers everywhere.
It's all change in the outdoors industry and a little sooner than expected as heavy showers wash away the few remaining weeks of summer.
The early arrival of Autumn quashed end of summer sales, leaving many retailer struggling to clear stock in time for their next season of stock.
However, Merrell, a subsidiary of Wolverine World Wide inc, has come to the fore in this transitional period between light summer sandals and waterproof walking boots with their extensive range of Merrell shoes and boots.
With a focus on functional fashion to embrace the outdoors and a slogan to Get Outside, Merrell's impact on the outdoor market has been massive, inspiring both larger and smaller brands to adopt similar designs in order to provide walkers, hikers and adventurers with stylish and comfortable performance footwear.
In this way, Merrell's reputation for making a comfortable walking shoe or hiking boot is unsurpassed.
While other brands, such as Salomon, produce serious top of the range hiking boots; for times when the weather is cold, but not freezing and when it's raining, not pouring, then Merrell footwear really shines, offering the ideal balance between breathability and water resistance without being too warm.
Sports and outdoor specialist FitnessFootwear.com have a reputation for being the UK's #1 Merrell online store, firmly believing that they should never sell a shoe that their staff wouldn't wear.
"Merrell is the perfect Autumn brand" said Managing Director Luke Barlow, "they make some fantastic leaf kicking boots and when it comes to comfort, quality and design, the brand is our first recommendation for casual walkers or someone simply looking for good quality foorwear."
As a group who are fanatical about Merrell footwear, they are able to offer first hand advice about every product -a service few competitors can boast about.
This week sees the launch of Merrell's Autumn/Winter ranges which focus on synchronising the colour of their shoes with the seasonal surroundings.
Merrell Colour Stories range from mens autumnal terracotta and rust to womens winter violet, beautifully blending with the outdoor environments as well as the growing collection of Merrell outdoor apparel.
Following London Fashion Week, colour trend is at an all time high -another popular trend inspired by Merrell perhaps?
Championing Merrell's new 2010 Autumn range is the Merrell Refuge Pro GTX, a rugged, good looking walking trainer with wrap around fit, great grip and the perfect blend of waterproof protection, breathability and warmth for the cool, wet Autumn weather conditions.
Every year Merrell's business continues to grow with a reputation for comfortable, quality footwear preceding them.
With one foot in fashion, the other in function and a focus on comfortable, supporting walking shoes and hiking boots, Merrell is the definitive Autumn brand for everyday wear and casual walkers everywhere.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)