Merrell vs Speedo:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Speedo had more branded searches than Merrell among water shoes worldwide. Speedo had about 368,000 branded searches, while Merrell had 42,100. Speedo made up 74.1% of all water shoe searches we track, and Merrell accounted for 8.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about water shoes, Merrell and Speedo each appeared in two of the five answers. Speedo was mentioned before Merrell in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Speedo, about 9 searches for every 1 for Merrell
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Speedo, named ahead of Merrell in 2 of 3 answers
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Top water shoes in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two 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. Speedo was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Speedo was listed before Merrell in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
KEEN1st- Speedo2nd
Merrell3rd
Cressi–
Body Glove–
Aqua Sphere–
ALEADER–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- KEEN4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Speedo2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Merrell2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cressi0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Body Glove0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Aqua Sphere0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- ALEADER0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about water shoes
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which water shoe brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best water shoe brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best water shoe brand for wet rocks?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“water shoes”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“water shoes for beach”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Merrell or Speedo more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Merrell and Speedo by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven water shoes we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Speedo, Merrell. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Speedo | Merrell | Cressi | Body Glove | KEEN | Aqua Sphere | ALEADER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 80% | 5% | 4.8% | 5.9% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.21% |
| Nov 2025 | 80.7% | 4.1% | 4.9% | 5.9% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 0.31% |
| Dec 2025 | 77.1% | 3.9% | 4.6% | 10.4% | 2.5% | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 73.7% | 5.6% | 4.4% | 12.1% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 0.43% |
| Feb 2026 | 80% | 6% | 3.9% | 5.9% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 0.28% |
| Mar 2026 | 78.1% | 6% | 4.7% | 7% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.28% |
| Apr 2026 | 78.1% | 7.3% | 4.7% | 5.7% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.28% |
| May 2026 | 78.4% | 7.3% | 4.7% | 5.8% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.31% |
| Jun 2026 | 77.1% | 5.9% | 6.9% | 5.7% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.86% |
| Jul 2026 | 75.6% | 7.1% | 6.8% | 5.6% | 2% | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 73.3% | 8.4% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.83% |
| Sep 2026 | 74.1% | 8.5% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 3% | 1.6% | 0.73% |
How has the Merrell and Speedo comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Speedo was ahead of Merrell in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Speedo’s share of searches among water shoes worldwide moved from 80% to 74.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 450K to 368K.
How did search popularity change for water shoes worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Speedo gained share of searches among water shoes worldwide, from 73.3% to 74.1%.
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.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Merrell’s and Speedo’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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