Ariat vs Merrell:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Merrell had more branded searches than Ariat among men's boot brands in New Zealand. Merrell had about 3,480 branded searches, while Ariat had 1,900. Merrell made up 8.7% of all men's boot brand searches we track, and Ariat accounted for 4.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about men's boot brands, Ariat appeared in three of the five answers and Merrell in one. Ariat was mentioned before Merrell in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Merrell, about 83% more searches than Ariat
Who does AI mention more?
Ariat, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Merrell in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Ariat, named ahead of Merrell in 2 of 3 answers
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Top men's boot brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ariat was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Merrell was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Ariat was listed before Merrell in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Blundstone1st
Dr. Martens2nd
Timberland3rd
Red Wing4th- Ariat5th
Mongrel6th- Merrell7th
Caterpillar–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Blundstone5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Dr. Martens3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Timberland3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Ariat3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Red Wing2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Mongrel2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Merrell1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Caterpillar0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about men's boot brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which men's boot brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best men's boot brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best men's boot brand in New Zealand for everyday wear?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“men's boots nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“men's work boots”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.
Is Ariat or Merrell more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Ariat and Merrell by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight men's boot brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Merrell, Ariat. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Dr. Martens | Timberland | Blundstone | Merrell | Ariat | Red Wing | Mongrel | Caterpillar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 53.1% | 21.3% | 9.6% | 7.4% | 6% | 1.8% | 0.87% | 0.02% |
| Nov 2025 | 52.9% | 22.3% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 6.2% | 1.3% | 0.3% | 0.04% |
| Dec 2025 | 54.1% | 23.6% | 8.1% | 7.5% | 5.3% | 1.1% | 0.35% | 0.02% |
| Jan 2026 | 54.6% | 20.6% | 9.2% | 8.2% | 5.7% | 1.4% | 0.36% | 0.02% |
| Feb 2026 | 52.8% | 19.8% | 10.8% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 1.3% | 0.5% | 0.03% |
| Mar 2026 | 54.2% | 20.3% | 11.2% | 6.6% | 5.6% | 1.7% | 0.47% | 0.02% |
| Apr 2026 | 50.4% | 23% | 10.8% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 1.3% | 0.46% | 0.04% |
| May 2026 | 52.1% | 22.9% | 10.8% | 6% | 6.3% | 1.3% | 0.52% | 0.07% |
| Jun 2026 | 55.1% | 19.8% | 11.4% | 6.4% | 5.5% | 1.1% | 0.57% | 0.02% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.8% | 24.9% | 12.6% | 8.2% | 5.6% | 1.4% | 0.47% | 0.02% |
| Aug 2026 | 46.9% | 26.1% | 13.3% | 7.1% | 4.5% | 1.4% | 0.55% | 0.05% |
| Sep 2026 | 49.3% | 22.7% | 12.6% | 8.7% | 4.8% | 1.2% | 0.73% | 0.03% |
How has the Ariat and Merrell comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Ariat took it in May 2026, Merrell took it in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ariat’s share of searches among men's boot brands in New Zealand moved from 6% to 4.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.4K to 1.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Merrell’s share of searches among men's boot brands in New Zealand moved from 7.4% to 8.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3K to 3.5K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand men's boot brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Merrell gained share of searches among men's boot brands in New Zealand, from 7.1% to 8.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Ariat in New Zealand fell 20.8% over 12 measured months, from 2.4K to 1.9K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
6 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ariat’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 men's boot brands
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