According to the Unlikely Hikers Facebook page, Jenny Bruso started the community as a way to change preconceived notions of what an “outdoorsperson” looks like and to highlight the intersections of identity, social justice, and the outdoors. To reach this goal, Bruso has been hosting accessible group hikes in locations around the country for years. An Unlikely Hikers collaboration with Merrell on a new hiking boot is helping to take that mission even further.
When Bruso co-designed this updated version of Merrell’s sneaker-like Zion boot, she wanted to make sure it offered all the function of a traditional hiking boot along with style and fit for a variety of foot sizes and widths – something not often seen in this category.
The men’s version of the Zion Mid Waterproof X Unlikely Hikers is available in an extended width and offers sizes to 16 (15 in wide, 16 in medium). In her introduction to the shoe on her website, Bruso says the shoe has a naturally wider footbed and that the wide is the equivalent of a 2E.
You’ll also find a lot of the features that help make a good hiking boot great, such as a waterproof membrane to keep out water while letting moisture escape, a bellows tongue to keep out debris, extra insole and midsole support for comfort and stability, and more.
While the boot is the main feature of the collaboration, you can also shop Merrell’s Unlikely Hikers branded socks, hats, and t-shirts. The socks are available in bigger sizes as well.
Jenny Bruso set out to create something that represents people who are often overlooked and underrepresented, and she’s done exactly that with Unlikely Hikers. Help support that mission and explore your world a little bit more with your own pair of hiking boots from the Merrell x Unlikely Hikers collaboration by clicking here.
