As far as hiking movers and shakers go, Merrell and Gramicci are birds of a feather; both brands have been playing in the outdoor space for decades now — founded less than a year apart, in 1981 and 1982, respectively — with an emphasis on performance and a catalogue of cult styles that have been long since fully embraced by gearhead aficionados and gorpcore newbies alike.
Merrell, in particular, has become become synonymous with their Moab style; even a mere mention probably evokes mental images of its proto hiking shoe mixed media brown upper and rubberized Vibram sole unit.
There’s enough synergistic energy between the two labels — both in their approach to outdoor apparel and their retro-tinged, lifestyle-adjacent aesthetics — that you might be surprised that they have never worked together before, until now; the heritage labels are finally making it official. Looking to build on the hiker’s icon status, the duo recently partnered for a brand-new, co-designed shoe, the Merrell Moab 2 Siren x Gramicci.
The brand-new model, an iteration that uses the Moab as a framework, offers the ability to traverse both daily life and the toughest of terrains with equal ease, adapting the recognizable silo with a revamped upper, fresh detailing and aesthetic influence from both brands’ crunchy POVs.
“Partnering with Gramicci, we didn’t skip on any of the performance detailing; we wanted to make sure that we made a shoe that both looked really good and was wearable. We wanted the Moab 2 Siren to do a little bit of both, but we will never really compromise on our performance DNA, especially when it comes to utilizing the Moab, one of our most iconic silhouettes,” said David Gibson, Director of Product, Lifestyle at Merrell.
The functionality of the shoe is unquestionable; built out with Merrell’s sturdy Moab 2 midsole and outsole, the Moab 2 Siren is designed to conquer crags and cliffs just as easily as bodegas and dive bars. The new transposed upper swaps the traditional suede overlays with the Siren’s signature mesh webbing, offering slightly more breathability and flexibility without compromising on the tough-as-nails “authentic Moab DNA.”
As serious a hiking shoe as it may seem, the Moab 2 Siren isn’t just Vibram soles and technical uppers. The refreshed upper has the added benefit of slimming down the shoe, creating a slimmer silhouette, and the modernized shape is compounded by the colorways — the classic “Dark Earth” suede brown and the much louder Citron, a (s)lime green colorway, with the hints of aubergine detailing similarly add to the lifestyle look.
The hybrid nature of the Moab 2 Siren is fully intentional, according to Gibson: “You can still quote unquote hike in this, or use this as a performance model. We didn’t want to skip on any of the performance or tech detailing, so it will survive the trails. But it will also survive the streets. It is one of those crossover models that will be a good everyday daily driver.”
As the gorpcore trend has exploded in popularity over the past decade, the increasingly blurred lines between performance and lifestyle are something that both Gramicci and Merrell have capitalized on, leaning into the demand for lifestyle consumer-friendly silhouettes and collabs.
That being said, neither of the brands have forgotten what makes them so beloved in the first place: a heritage and dedication to outdoor gear that actually works. “We’re almost a 50-year brand, so we have a rich history and a rich archive,” Gibson says. “When we pull out the catalogs and see some of those amazing details, we honestly feel like that’s our most authentic point of view of coming into the space.”
The new Merrell Moab 2 Siren x Gramicci retails for $140, and is out now; shop the drop at both Merrell and Gramicci webstores.
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