With the intention of building a better hiking boot, the Merrill Shoes company was established in 1981. From those humble beginnings, they have evolved their footwear collection to handle all types of terrain from the urban jungle of Chicago to the trails of the Shenandoah National Park. Their main objective both then and now is to promote an active lifestyle for everyone to enjoy with footwear that is up to the challenge. As a matter of fact, starting with their headquarters in the rugged terrain of Utah, this served as the optimal testing grounds for their hiking boots. Merrill invested heavily in cutting edge technology that could handle this rugged landscape which still appears in their varied collection of moccasins, sports shoes, sandals, slides and boots today. As people became more fitness and environmentally conscious throughout decades since the 1980s, Merrill has adapted to meet their demands. So, whether the activity is rock climbing, hiking, running, or sight seeing, Merrill specifically designed their footwear to meet the unique demands of that particular sport. The impressive part is that they never sacrificed comfort or style along the way.
Advanced Features of Merrill Shoes
Merrill has pioneered many technical breakthroughs in footwear through their consistent commitment to research. The resulting benefits to its clients is exceptional comfort, stability, fit and control. These proprietary features can only be found on their shoes collection. Many of these features were crafted to accommodate the varied demands of the customer whether it be indulging the unique needs of the female foot, or if you're a trail hiker or even just looking for a super comfortable and supportive shoe for walking. They have built in specific features based on the particular way you would use that shoe. For example, Merrill has a patented Q-Form cushioning feature which takes into account the female foot anatomy. Such physical properties as a women’s foot 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 provide 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 acute for a female. Such attention to detail produces a shoe which delivers far superior support, improved performance, more natural alignment, and reduces wear and tear.
Well Earned Footwear Industry Recognition
The accomplishments and growing popularity of the Merrill shoe company has not gone unrecognized In fact, many of the established industry publications across many related areas have awarded well deserved accolades to Merrill. For example, in 1988 Backpacker Magazine ranked Merrell leather boot the Best Hiking Boot. By 1999, Footwear News named Merrell the 1999 Athletic/Outdoor Brand of the Year. In 2007, yet again, the leading footwear industry magazine, Footwear News, named Merrill the brand of the year. By every estimate, what started out as a humble objective to deliver a better hiking boot to the market blossomed into a well recognized design label with a global client base.
I consider myself one of the most fortunate woman because of being able to be paid to spend time with my obsession - women's designer shoes. As one of the shoe review writers for the Trendy Shoe Shop site, (http://www.trendyshoeshop.com). I get to do in-depth reviews on women's shoes and designer labels. It's impossible for a girl like me to have too many shoes in her collection.
