Author
Bob Myaing
To celebrate their 40th birthday, footwear brand Merrell has taken a heaping of funfetti to bring some festive style to two of their most popular shoe and boot models. The Birthday Pack Collection, as it were, commemorates the major milestone with limited-release colorways of both the Moab 2 Mid Waterproof boot and Jungle Moc, with a limited run Whisper Rain Jacket and fun pair of Birthday Crew Socks rounding out the capsule.
In the past four decades Merrell has steadily remained a trusted outfitter, with utilitarian hikers leading the charge. More recently though, the brand has gained increased exposure from the gorpcore fashion movement, adding streetwear aficionados to their existing core customer base of hikers and weekend-mode-dads thanks to models like the foam Hydro Moc. While we're a bit sad to see the trendy recovery shoe omitted from this collection, it stays true to the brand's roots, a move we wouldn't dare knock.
After all, the Moab is a shoe that company co-founder Clark Matis has been developing since 1982, just a year into its founding. The Moab 2 Mid Waterproof bears quintessential Merrell style and pairs itself with comfort and rugged performance, all in a lightweight package that’s been worn by nearly 20-million happy customers to date.
The off-white uppers in this limited Birthday Pack colorway is meant to invoke the white frosting of a birthday cake, and the rainbow speckled Vibram sole the cake’s funfetti batter. A pair of multicolor laces means it's a party. The Moab 2 Mid is available for a limited time in both men’s and women’s sizes ($140), in addition to big kid sizes ($70).
For more casual wear, Merrell has also brought the funfetti treatment to the Jungle Moc shoe, a staple of the brand’s catalog since 1999. The laceless slip-on shoe is built for daily wear with some of the comfort and grip features found in other models designed for the trails. The shoe’s low top height makes the sprinkled insole especially noticeable, sparking a little bit of joy with each wear. The limited edition Jungle Moc is available in both men’s and women’s sizes ($95).
Don’t forget to top off the birthday celebrations with a pair of bright and festive Printed Birthday Crew Socks ($20)! The all-white colorways might not stay clean forever, but we’ve got faith in the funfetti soles to keep the party going.
Published 09-23-2021
