Columbia vs Merrell:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Merrell had more branded searches than Columbia among hiking shoe brands worldwide. Merrell was estimated to have 680K branded searches compared to Columbia’s 245K, and held a 13.1% Share of Search versus Columbia’s 4.7%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Columbia or Merrell?
Compare the hiking shoe brands brands people buy. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Merrell, Columbia. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | HOKA | Merrell | Altra | Columbia | KEEN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 76.8% | 11.8% | 4.4% | 6.5% | 0.44% |
| Nov 2025 | 71.8% | 12.2% | 3.9% | 11.8% | 0.39% |
| Dec 2025 | 74.1% | 10.8% | 3.3% | 11.4% | 0.38% |
| Jan 2026 | 73.5% | 12.7% | 4.6% | 8.7% | 0.46% |
| Feb 2026 | 77.7% | 11.6% | 4.1% | 6.1% | 0.51% |
| Mar 2026 | 78.8% | 11.9% | 5.1% | 3.7% | 0.45% |
| Apr 2026 | 79.3% | 11.7% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 0.5% |
| May 2026 | 79.2% | 12.1% | 5% | 3.1% | 0.55% |
| Jun 2026 | 78.1% | 14% | 4.3% | 3% | 0.58% |
| Jul 2026 | 77.4% | 13.6% | 4.9% | 3.4% | 0.73% |
| Aug 2026 | 79.4% | 11.5% | 5% | 3.5% | 0.55% |
| Sep 2026 | 75.7% | 13.1% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 0.64% |
How has the Columbia and Merrell comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Columbia took it in December 2025, Merrell took it in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Columbia’s estimated Share of Search among hiking shoe brands worldwide moved from 6.5% to 4.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 366K to 245K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Merrell’s estimated Share of Search among hiking shoe brands worldwide moved from 11.8% to 13.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 661K to 680K.
How did search popularity change for hiking shoe brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Merrell gained estimated Share of Search among hiking shoe brands worldwide, from 11.5% to 13.1%.
In September 2026, Columbia gained estimated Share of Search among hiking shoe brands worldwide, from 3.5% to 4.7%.
Other head-to-heads among hiking shoe brands
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Columbia’s and Merrell’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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