Brandwave

Merrell vs Salomon:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Merrell had more branded searches than Salomon among walking boot brands in New Zealand. Merrell had about 3,480 branded searches, while Salomon had 210. Merrell made up 19.3% of all walking boot brand searches we track, and Salomon accounted for 1.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about walking boot brands, both Merrell and Salomon appeared in all three answers. Salomon was mentioned before Merrell in two out of three answers.

Among walking boot brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Merrell, about 17 searches for every 1 for Salomon

Merrell 3.5K searchesSalomon 210 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.

Merrell in 3 of 3Salomon in 3 of 3

Who does AI recommend more?

Salomon, named ahead of Merrell in 2 of 3 answers

Salomon first in 2Merrell first in 1

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Top walking boot brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, both Merrell and Salomon showed up in all three answers. Salomon was listed before Merrell in two of them.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Salomon1st
  2. Merrell2nd
  3. LOWA3rd
  4. KEEN4th
  5. HOKA–
  6. SCARPA–
  7. Meindl–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Merrell3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Salomon3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • KEEN2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • LOWA2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • HOKA0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • SCARPA0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Meindl0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers

See every answer about walking boot brands

3 answers
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which walking boot brand should I buy in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Merrell
    2. 2Salomon
    3. 3KEEN
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best walking boot brands in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Salomon
    2. 2Merrell
    3. 3LOWA
    4. 4KEEN
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best walking boot brand in New Zealand for wet weather walking?”

    1. 1LOWA
    2. 2Salomon
    3. 3Merrell
  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “best walking boots”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “hiking boots for women”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Is Merrell or Salomon more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Merrell and Salomon by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven walking boot brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Merrell and Salomon among walking boot brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Merrell, Salomon. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthHOKAMerrellKEENLOWASalomonSCARPAMeindl
Oct 202568.1%16.6%9%3.9%0.95%0.78%0.67%
Nov 202568.7%16.4%10%3%0.87%0.58%0.41%
Dec 202570.6%14.7%10.3%2.5%0.9%0.47%0.51%
Jan 202668.6%16.1%8.9%4.2%0.98%0.66%0.56%
Feb 202671.8%15.3%6.7%3.8%1.3%0.57%0.52%
Mar 202667.3%15.8%8.9%4.8%1.4%1.2%0.67%
Apr 202667.9%17.6%7.9%3.6%1.3%1%0.6%
May 202667.3%16%9.3%4.3%1.2%1.2%0.7%
Jun 202667.9%16.4%9.4%3.6%1%1%0.7%
Jul 202663.4%19.1%10.4%4%1.1%1.1%0.82%
Aug 202667%17%9.1%4.2%1.2%0.97%0.57%
Sep 202664.9%19.3%8.9%4.2%1.2%0.94%0.56%

How has the Merrell and Salomon comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Merrell was ahead of Salomon in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Merrell’s share of searches among walking boot brands in New Zealand moved from 16.6% to 19.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3K to 3.5K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Salomon’s share of searches among walking boot brands in New Zealand moved from 0.95% to 1.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 170 to 210.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand walking boot brands in September 2026?

2 changes
  1. In September 2026, Merrell gained share of searches among walking boot brands in New Zealand, from 17% to 19.3%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Salomon in New Zealand rose 23.5% over 12 measured months, from 170 to 210 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

6 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Merrell’s and Salomon’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.

Merrell

5 branded search terms

  • merrell
  • merrell hydro moc
  • merrell moab
  • merrell outlet
  • merrell sandals

Salomon

1 branded search term

  • salomon hiking boots nz

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among walking boot brands

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