A first look at what Merrell 1TRL is cooking up for the Winter 2024 season has been released and, at first glance, you have to remind yourself that is the collection of a brand that specializes in rugged hiking boots.
The new selection sees Merrell, a 40-year-plus-old outdoor brand, take its function-focused footwear to new, more wild places.
Created by its premium line (titled 1TRL) the collection offers a range of styles, from chukka boots with a futuristic sole to new colorways of its slip-on trail shoes, and the most surprising thing about the designs is the amount of animal print they include.
What is presumably fake animal fur is used for hits of contrast on rugged outdoor sneakers while one pair of slip-on shoes is covered entirely in the hairy stuff. It's functional footwear gone wild.
With trail running shoes and hiking boots having new-found popularity in the sneaker scene, Merrell is one of the many brands that has inadvertently become a favorite in fashionable circles (along with the likes of HOKA and Salomon).
However, its range of amphibious slip-on slides and stealthy running shoes have rarely played up to the fact they are now very much on trend. The brand has seemingly continued with business as usual, creating more utility-led footwear with lots of GORE-TEX.
Now, the first look at Merrell 1TRL's 2024 selection sees it getting more playful than ever. Its animal print shoes, in particular, join in with a current trend that's been slowly bubbling away: animal fur footwear.
Wales Bonner and adidas' recent collaboration is the biggest example of this rising style, but New Balance's popular 610 model has also dabbled in cow print while Wacko Maria and Dr. Martens have created leopard print shoes.
I'm as surprised as anyone to see so many great faux fur sneakers hitting the market. The unlikely fabric choice is becoming a full-blown footwear trend and Merrell's got a whole range to pick from incoming.
