John Bull vs Merrell:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Merrell had more branded searches than John Bull among boot brands in New Zealand. Merrell had about 6,620 branded searches, while John Bull had 1,600. Merrell made up 6.4% of all boot brand searches we track, and John Bull accounted for 1.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about boot brands, John Bull appeared in three of the five answers and Merrell in one. John Bull was mentioned before Merrell in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Merrell, about 4 searches for every 1 for John Bull
Who does AI mention more?
John Bull, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Merrell in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
John Bull, named ahead of Merrell in 3 of 4 answers
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Top boot brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, John Bull was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Merrell was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. John Bull was listed before Merrell in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Blundstone1st- John Bull2nd
Steel Blue3rd
Timberland4th
Redback4th
R.M.Williams6th
Dr. Martens7th- Merrell8th
UGG–
SCARPA–
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
- Timberland4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- John Bull3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Dr. Martens2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- R.M.Williams2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Steel Blue2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Redback2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Merrell1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- UGG0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- SCARPA0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about boot brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which boot brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best boot brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best boot brand in New Zealand for everyday wear?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“work boots nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“men's boots nz”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.
Is John Bull or Merrell more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for John Bull and Merrell by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten boot brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Merrell, John Bull. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | UGG | Dr. Martens | Timberland | R.M.Williams | Blundstone | Merrell | John Bull | Steel Blue | Redback | SCARPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 32.6% | 23.5% | 13.1% | 15% | 7.4% | 5.4% | 1.9% | 0.59% | 0.37% | 0.14% |
| Nov 2025 | 36.5% | 20.8% | 11.8% | 16.9% | 6% | 5.8% | 1.2% | 0.46% | 0.29% | 0.11% |
| Dec 2025 | 41.1% | 19.6% | 11.5% | 16.1% | 5.5% | 4.6% | 0.95% | 0.29% | 0.26% | 0.08% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.9% | 23.6% | 11.8% | 11.9% | 8.1% | 6% | 1.5% | 0.55% | 0.41% | 0.13% |
| Feb 2026 | 35% | 22.5% | 11.3% | 13.6% | 8.7% | 6.1% | 1.7% | 0.52% | 0.48% | 0.12% |
| Mar 2026 | 38% | 22.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 1.4% | 0.52% | 0.4% | 0.18% |
| Apr 2026 | 41.9% | 19.3% | 11.3% | 11.5% | 8% | 5.7% | 1.2% | 0.44% | 0.5% | 0.16% |
| May 2026 | 46% | 18.2% | 10.5% | 11% | 7.4% | 4.7% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.45% | 0.14% |
| Jun 2026 | 42% | 20.4% | 10.5% | 12.2% | 8.3% | 4.4% | 1.2% | 0.45% | 0.48% | 0.13% |
| Jul 2026 | 42.5% | 17.1% | 11.7% | 12.1% | 9% | 5.5% | 1.2% | 0.36% | 0.39% | 0.16% |
| Aug 2026 | 40.2% | 17.5% | 13.2% | 12.5% | 9.1% | 5.2% | 1.3% | 0.46% | 0.44% | 0.13% |
| Sep 2026 | 33.5% | 21% | 13.5% | 12.7% | 10.2% | 6.4% | 1.5% | 0.57% | 0.53% | 0.16% |
How has the John Bull and Merrell comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Merrell was ahead of John Bull in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, John Bull’s share of searches among boot brands in New Zealand moved from 1.9% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.9K to 1.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Merrell’s share of searches among boot brands in New Zealand moved from 5.4% to 6.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.4K to 6.6K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand boot brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Merrell gained share of searches among boot brands in New Zealand, from 5.2% to 6.4%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for John Bull in New Zealand fell 15.8% over 12 measured months, from 1.9K to 1.6K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
11 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using John Bull’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 boot brands
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