--- title: "KEEN vs Merrell: Which is searched more?" description: "Is KEEN or Merrell more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Water shoes set worldwide. 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." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/water-shoes/compare/keen-footwear-vs-merrell" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # KEEN vs Merrell: Which is searched more? Is KEEN or Merrell more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Water shoes set worldwide. 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. ## Key facts - **Compared**: KEEN and Merrell - **Competitive set**: Water shoes - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **KEEN Share of Search**: 3% - **Merrell Share of Search**: 8.5% ## Is KEEN or Merrell more popular in search? - In September 2026, Merrell had more branded searches than KEEN among water shoes worldwide. Merrell had about 42,100 branded searches, while KEEN had 14,800. Merrell made up 8.5% of all water shoe searches we track, and KEEN accounted for 3%. - Merrell was ahead of KEEN in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KEEN’s share of searches among water shoes worldwide moved from 2.6% to 3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 14.8K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Merrell’s share of searches among water shoes worldwide moved from 5% to 8.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 28K to 42.1K. ## Top water shoes in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, KEEN was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Merrell was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. KEEN was listed before Merrell in two out of three answers. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | KEEN | 1st | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Speedo | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Merrell | 3rd | 0 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Cressi | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Body Glove | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Aqua Sphere | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | ALEADER | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about water shoes - Asked ChatGPT "Which water shoe brand should I buy?": 1. Speedo, 2. KEEN - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best water shoe brands?": 1. KEEN, 2. Speedo - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best water shoe brand for wet rocks?": named none of the brands we track - Searched Google, AI Overview "water shoes": 1. Merrell, 2. KEEN - Searched Google, AI Overview "water shoes for beach": 1. Merrell, 2. KEEN Not named in any answer: Cressi, Body Glove, Aqua Sphere and ALEADER. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for water shoes worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, KEEN gained share of searches among water shoes worldwide, from 2.4% to 3%. - Merrell’s share of searches among water shoes worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 5.9% to 8.5% in September 2026. ## Month by month | Month | KEEN estimated searches | KEEN Share of Search | KEEN rank | Merrell estimated searches | Merrell Share of Search | Merrell rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 14.8K | 2.6% | 5 | 28K | 5% | 3 | | Nov 2025 | 14.8K | 2.7% | 5 | 23.1K | 4.1% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | 14.8K | 2.5% | 5 | 22.9K | 3.9% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | 14.8K | 2.4% | 5 | 34K | 5.6% | 3 | | Feb 2026 | 14.8K | 2.6% | 5 | 34K | 6% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | 14.8K | 2.6% | 5 | 34.4K | 6% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | 14.8K | 2.6% | 5 | 41.8K | 7.3% | 2 | | May 2026 | 14.8K | 2.1% | 5 | 51.1K | 7.3% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | 14.8K | 2.1% | 5 | 42.1K | 5.9% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | 14.8K | 2% | 5 | 51.4K | 7.1% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | 14.8K | 2.4% | 5 | 51.4K | 8.4% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | 14.8K | 3% | 5 | 42.1K | 8.5% | 2 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using KEEN’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. - **KEEN**: Measured on the search term “hiking boots keen”. - **Merrell**: Measured on the search terms “hiking boots merrell” and “hiking shoes merrell”, summed into one figure. - [KEEN profile](/demand/global-en/brands/keen-footwear) - [Merrell profile](/demand/global-en/brands/merrell) - [All water shoes worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/water-shoes): The set both shares are measured inside, 7 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is KEEN or Merrell more popular in search? In September 2026, Merrell had more branded searches than KEEN among water shoes worldwide. Merrell had about 42,100 branded searches, while KEEN had 14,800. Merrell made up 8.5% of all water shoe searches we track, and KEEN accounted for 3%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "KEEN vs Merrell: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/water-shoes/compare/keen-footwear-vs-merrell This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/water-shoes/compare/keen-footwear-vs-merrell. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.