We’re now used to seeing fluorescents sprayed on sports shoes, but when it comes to hiking boots and trail-runners there have always been question marks around what’s appropriate in a natural setting and what color combos people of different ages will actually buy. Browns and greys have ruled the woods.
Across the pond, Europeans seem to have embraced color in every story, in every shoe, a long time ago. There is no matching or clashing. Footwear is all about fun. Men and women seem to find color perfectly fine on their feet.
Enter Merrell’s new All Out collection. For a company that’s been in the hiking-boot category since 1981, this cheerful line is a welcomed nod to Euro-style as well as an acknowledgement of a new generation of multi-faceted adventure enthusiasts who, well, don’t take themselves so seriously.
Merrell’s transitional trail tacklers are made for scrambling up rocks, hopping through streambeds, plowing through mud, bouncing around mountains and generally taking on any outdoor task at hand. And they all come with a fresh “color story”—bright berry, cool teal and interesting periwinkle for the ladies, while the men’s multi-purpose versions are sporting bold yellows, oranges and greens.
The vivid hues seem to represent the brand’s new rallying cry for diversity: “It’s in my nature.” Rather than following a conventional model in outdoor gear, the company may be exploring that idea that color is just one way humans can stand out yet in nature, a welcoming place that should be open to all.
The campaign’s description reads, “We believe that when you follow your own nature, there isn’t a barrier that can prevent you from experiencing the great outdoors. From the most skilled outdoor enthusiast, to the beginner, when you do what’s natural, you make the outdoors your own. Your own path. Your own story. You do what feels right.”
Right now I’m feeling colorful.