KEEN vs Merrell:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Merrell had more branded searches than KEEN among hiking footwear brands in New Zealand. Merrell had about 3,480 branded searches, while KEEN had 1,620. Merrell made up 13.1% of all hiking footwear brand searches we track, and KEEN accounted for 6.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about hiking footwear brands, Merrell appeared in four of the five answers and KEEN in two. Merrell was mentioned before KEEN in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Merrell, about 2 searches for every 1 for KEEN
Who does AI mention more?
Merrell, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, KEEN in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Merrell, named ahead of KEEN in 4 of 4 answers
Follow KEEN vs Merrell and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top hiking footwear brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Merrell was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. KEEN was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Merrell was listed before KEEN in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Salomon5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- La Sportiva5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Merrell4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
LOWA4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
HOKA3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
KEEN2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
SCARPA0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Salewa0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Meindl0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about hiking footwear brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which hiking footwear brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best hiking footwear brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best hiking footwear brand in New Zealand for rough trails?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“hiking footwear brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best hiking boots”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is KEEN or Merrell more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for KEEN and Merrell by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine hiking footwear brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Merrell, KEEN. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | HOKA | Salomon | Merrell | SCARPA | KEEN | La Sportiva | LOWA | Salewa | Meindl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 45.7% | 19% | 11.1% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 3.8% | 3% | 1.1% | 0.45% |
| Nov 2025 | 49.6% | 18.2% | 11.8% | 6.2% | 7.4% | 3% | 2.6% | 0.84% | 0.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 52.2% | 16.2% | 10.8% | 5.5% | 7.7% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 0.82% | 0.38% |
| Jan 2026 | 47.9% | 18.4% | 11.3% | 6.8% | 6.3% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 1.1% | 0.39% |
| Feb 2026 | 51.3% | 17.2% | 10.9% | 7.6% | 4.9% | 3.7% | 3% | 0.93% | 0.37% |
| Mar 2026 | 47.3% | 16.2% | 11.1% | 8.4% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 3.9% | 1.3% | 0.47% |
| Apr 2026 | 48.4% | 16.4% | 12.5% | 7.6% | 5.8% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 1.2% | 0.42% |
| May 2026 | 46.3% | 18.3% | 11% | 7.4% | 6.5% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 0.48% |
| Jun 2026 | 46.3% | 20.2% | 11.2% | 6% | 6.6% | 5.2% | 2.9% | 1.1% | 0.48% |
| Jul 2026 | 43.7% | 19.1% | 13.2% | 6.9% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 1.1% | 0.56% |
| Aug 2026 | 45.4% | 17.6% | 11.5% | 8.1% | 6.3% | 6.2% | 3.2% | 1.3% | 0.39% |
| Sep 2026 | 44.1% | 19.2% | 13.1% | 8% | 6.1% | 4.9% | 3.4% | 0.9% | 0.38% |
How has the KEEN and Merrell comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- 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 hiking footwear brands in New Zealand moved from 6.2% to 6.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Merrell’s share of searches among hiking footwear brands in New Zealand moved from 11.1% to 13.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3K to 3.5K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand hiking footwear brands in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Merrell gained share of searches among hiking footwear brands in New Zealand, from 11.5% to 13.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
9 search terms
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.
Other head-to-heads among hiking footwear brands
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.