Wolverine’s Sweaty Betty and Merrell in first-ever collab

Owned by Wolverine World Wide since 2021, UK activewear brand Sweaty Betty has announced a collaboration with fellow Wolverine label Merrell.

The two sister brands have united for a hiking capsule collection for women. They said it has an emphasis on “sisterhood and nature – and how the two are unstoppable when combined”.

Launching on 25 March via merrell.com/uk and 2 April on sweatybetty.com, the companies said it’s “breaking barriers and blurring boundaries”.

It’s certainly set to be interesting as it’s the first time the British brand more closely associated with yoga pants and such pieces has worked with the American outdoor brand to create a joint apparel, accessories and shoes offer. 

It comes as the companies said that a recent global survey “showed young adults report the highest levels of loneliness, with nearly a third indicating that they feel very or fairly lonely”. They’re therefore “advocating for women to discover the simple power of the outdoors to combat the loneliness they might face”. 

“We know women are willing to try all sorts of methods when it comes to self-care and, together, our brands are championing the solution that the most available, long-term form of self-care is getting outside and moving your body,” said Vice-President of Marketing Lindsey Lindemulder. “This year, we’re rallying around a celebration of sisters and togetherness – whether that’s your actual sister or your community, women are able to refresh and treat themselves when spending time with each other outdoors.” 

The collection itself “stands at the intersection of fashion and function for the outdoors”, It includes the all-new “versatile Moab Speed 2, designed to make you rethink what hiking footwear looks and feels like” and the sporty Speed Fusion Web sandal – “with a modern outsole and fresh aesthetic”. 

Plus there are “unique versions of Sweaty Betty’s best sellers”. They include the Swifty Workout Tank, Power Bra, Power Cargo Short, Power Cargo Workout Legging, Athlete Seamless Workout Tee, 2-in-1 Hiking Jacket, Convertible Hiking Pant and Whisper Anorak. Accessories include the Crest 8L Sling and Crest 1.5L Lumbar Pack.

“We followed the creative direction of ‘rewilding’ which translates into a safari-inspired collection that manifests into a high concept collection of functional activewear, focused on the outdoors,” said Sweaty Betty Chief Product Officer Catherine Tooke. “The fearless, instinctive approach to bold colours and prints results in an explosion of cloths, saturated materials and texture.” 

The collab also comes as part of both brands’ wider campaigns. They include Merrell’s More Less campaign, “which takes aim at the gimmicky self-care market and reminds women the simple power of the outdoors. The call to action is for women to redefine how they approach self-care and getting active outdoors, and the gear you wear is the first step”. 

Meanwhile, Sweaty Betty’s Spring It On messaging for the season, encourages women to “feel good with their sisterhood, to get together with their friends and get outside this spring”.