We're always up to good things at Creative Action Network and for National Parks Week this year, we're excited to announce our partnership with Merrell on a collection of national park-inspired hiking boots for Isle Royale National Park, Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument, and Vermillion Cliffs National Monument! We all need a lot of fresh air these days and we're so happy to partner with Merrell to provide people with an exciting new way to explore the outdoors (safely with physical distancing in mind of course) in great-looking boots that support independent artists and worthy social causes. We hope you enjoy this story of how two companies, three independent artists and our precious public lands came together to make these beautiful new hiking boots!
It's a time in our lives when staying connected with nature is more important than ever and these new boots are the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors! They're the Ontario 85 Mid Waterproof boot, available in three colorways for both men and women and they're built with the amazing quality construction we all expect from Merrell. At $140 a pair they're a great value too! The boots were inspired by three posters in our crowdsourced See America poster collection: Isle Royale National Park by Esther Licata, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument by Mark Forton, and Vermillion Cliffs National Monument by Justin Beaulieu. These three public lands are lesser known throughout the United States and we wanted to shine a spotlight on their unique beauty, as well as highlight the artists' deep and personal connections to the lands as expressed through their artwork. And did we mention the hiking boots look and feel amazing, plus Merrell is giving away a free pair of matching socks with every pair of hiking boots? Read on!
First up is Isle Royale National Park! Standing defiantly in the waters of Lake Superior is Isle Royale, an outdoor destination that is so uniquely challenging and isolated it's only accessible by seaplane! We've never been but we hear it's worth every paddle, and here's what artist Esther Licata has to say about this beautiful destination in her home state of Michigan. “This is an illustration of Isle Royale National Park, located in beautiful Lake Superior, surrounded by images of native plants found in the area. Originally a screen-printed design, this piece illustrates the beautiful north-woods forests and scenic shores of Michigan's most remote northern wilderness. With its remarkable island ecosystem, fascinating geology, and amazing plants and wildlife, Isle Royale perfectly represents the wildness and beauty of northern Michigan's natural wonderlands.” Esther is currently a designer in Detroit, Michigan, and her Isle Royale National Park poster is sold on CAN, as well as the rest of Esther's work. Be sure to check out her wonderful artwork-inspired boots at Merrell!
Deep in the Arizona desert, towering sandstone cliffs and starry skies make one of the most remote and beautiful destinations in the American West, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. Independent artist Justin Beaulieu's Vermillion Cliffs National Monument poster is part of our See America collection and the colors he used look absolutely brilliant on a hiking boot! Here's what he has to say about his design. "As you travel deeper into Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, the sense of history and the unfathomable scale of time display itself in such a way that you can only imagine what went on in between each layer of sediment. The surreal folding of sand and rocks bending on each other like waves tells a story of the constant change endured on earth, and yet this change can be represented even more beautifully with each new layer you come across.” Justin lives and works in Southern California, and you can get his Vermillion Cliffs National Monument poster on CAN and the Vermillion Ontario hiking boot at online at Merrell. Be sure to check out Justin's work on CAN too!
Deep in the dense forest of Baxter State Park stands Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument, the mountain home to some of Maine’s most diverse terrain, wildlife, and the end of the famed Appalachian Trail! It's one of the country’s newest national monuments and is just four years old, having been established in 2016. Artist Mark Forton is a frequent contributor to CAN and of his Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument poster, he says, "When I think of my design for Katahdin, and the other parks I’ve designed images for, I think of freedom. The freedom to escape the daily grind and to enjoy our beautiful National Parks. The beautiful freedom of nature.” Like Esther Licata, Mark is a native Michigander and we recommend you check out the rest of his work on CAN, and head on over to Merrell for the beautiful hiking boots his artwork inspired!
We really love these See America-inspired hiking boots and we know they'll be a huge hit! They're the Ontario 85 Mid Waterproof hiking boot for men and women, based on retro Merrell hiking boots from 1985 and believe us, they're beautiful. And at $140 a pair they're an excellent value! We've been working on this project for over a year and and it's a joy to finally announce it, plus it was so much fun we're hoping to do it again soon! Don't forget to check out the Katahdin, Isle Royale and Vermillion Cliffs posters on CAN as well, and for more information on the boots or the artwork they were inspired by, please get in touch with us at hello@thecreativeactionnetwork.com. Thanks for reading and we hope you get many chances to enjoy the great outdoors this year! ~Team CAN
