Photo: Merrell
Merrell's first boot was the Wilderness, in 1981. The 1TRL version keeps the hairy suede, the bellows tongue and the shape — and cuts the collar down to shoe height.
Verdict
| What it is | Merrell Wilderness 1TRL (men's, style 58343M) — the 1981 Wilderness boot reframed by 1TRL at shoe height: hairy suede and full-grain leather on a Vibram Ecostep Recycle outsole |
| Price | $280 — Merrell (merrell.com US), checked Tue Nov 10, 2026 |
| Availability | Olive is listed and in stock at model level on Merrell's US store. Black returns this week, per 1TRL, but had no US listing yet at check |
| The angle | A heritage boot shape, rebuilt with recycled content at nearly every layer |
| Verdict | The cut-down keeps the working details — bellows tongue, lugged Vibram sole — that made the original a boot, not a silhouette of one. |
What it is
The Wilderness was the first boot Merrell made, debuting in 1981 — the boot the company started with. 1TRL, the brand's archive-leaning line, reframed it for FW23: the collar dropped to shoe height and hairy suede was added to the upper. The two FW23 colourways, Olive and Black, return this week. The Olive shown here is the one listed on Merrell's US store at check, and it is the featured colourway of this piece; Black is confirmed returning by 1TRL's own post, but had no US listing yet.
The upper is hairy suede and full-grain leather — the suede's long nap is the texture that reads first — with a bellows tongue, the folded construction that keeps trail grit out of the lacing. Underneath sits a lightweight EVA foam midsole and a Vibram Ecostep Recycle outsole, its rubber 30% recycled. Half a pair weighs 505g, on Merrell's figures.
The recycled content runs through the small parts, too: 100% recycled laces (a tonal lace colour option is included), a 100% recycled breathable mesh lining and footbed cover, and a 50% recycled removable EVA foam footbed. None of it is printed on the shoe as a slogan — it sits in the maker's feature list, which is where we read it.
Why it matters
Archive reissues usually keep the silhouette and quietly drop the substance. This one makes the opposite trade: the silhouette is cut down — a boot made into a shoe — while the working parts stay. A bellows tongue and a lugged Vibram outsole are not styling on a shoe of this shape; they are what the Wilderness was for. Add a materials list that is recycled almost line by line, and the 1TRL version reads as an update rather than a costume.
Specs
| Brand | Merrell — 1TRL line |
| Model | Wilderness 1TRL, men's (style 58343M); featured colourway Olive (J068017) |
| Upper | Hairy suede and full-grain leather; bellows tongue |
| Laces and lining | 100% recycled laces; 100% recycled breathable mesh lining; 100% recycled mesh footbed cover |
| Footbed and midsole | 50% recycled removable EVA foam footbed; lightweight EVA foam midsole |
| Outsole | Vibram Ecostep Recycle, 30% recycled rubber |
| Weight | 505g per shoe (half pair, maker's figure) |
What to check before buying
- Olive is the buyable one today. Black is confirmed returning this week by 1TRL, but Merrell's US store listed Olive only at check — don't read the two colourways as equally available.
- No waterproofing is claimed for this version. The historical Wilderness was a waterproof boot; the current 1TRL listing states none, so don't buy it on the original's reputation.
- Mind the name twin. Merrell also lists a unisex Wilderness 1TRL casual shoe — a different, low shoe — at the same $280. The boot-cut 1TRL here is men's style 58343M.
Price record
| Price | $280 |
| Source | Merrell's own US store (merrell.com), checked Tue Nov 10, 2026 |
| Featured | Site-first, Tue Nov 10, 2026 — the Instagram post follows in Saturday's Archive Boots carousel |
Want one?
- In the shop: browse current stock — one-off pieces, and they turn over fast.
- Hunting one? Join the Want List — tell us the maker and the budget; pieces like this surface in our trawl most weeks.
- This one: at the source — See it at Merrell. Not our listing. See Disclosure.
Related picks
- Solovair Monkey Boot — the laces run to the toe for a reason, at $229
- The North Face Clyffe Slip-On — the approach shoe, minus the laces, at $140
- MoonStar 810s STUDEN — the schoolyard shoe, grown up, at ¥7,700
Spotted, not sold by us — this shoe lives at Merrell's own store. Prices are a snapshot from when we spotted it. Disclosure
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Shop the pick
Merrell Wilderness 1TRL — Olive
$280 — Merrell (merrell.com US), checked Tue Nov 10, 2026
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