Over the weekend, while her in-laws were wearing fur-trimmed robes and gobstopper-sized diamonds, Meghan Markle was pictured out hiking in leggings and a rain jacket, strolling down a mountain trail in Montecito, California.
The Duchess of Sussex wore brown lace-up boots, thick blue woollen socks, a straw hat, oversized sunglasses and – peeking out from under a pale pink neckerchief, in some truly, monumental mountainside symbolism – a quartz crystal Clarity Retreat necklace from the brand Maya Brenner. “A subtle wearable crystal piece to protect your peace … so every day can be your retreat,” reads the online blurb.
While many questioned Markle’s decision to skip the coronation – outraged she had chosen a jaunt up the Californian hills over the aisles of Westminster Abbey –some, including celebrity model and author Chrissy Teigen were more intrigued by where Markle’s hiking boots were from.
“As a leggings addict, I love this outfit for real,” Teigen posted alongside a screen grab of Markle on Instagram. “Does anyone know what the boots are?”
The internet did its thing and finally tracked them down to the American footwear company Merrell, identifying them as the Azura waterproof version in the espresso/apricot colourway. A couple of hours later the £130 boots were sold out online.
As one of the most photographed women in the world, Markle wields some serious fashion power. In 2018, Women’s Wear Daily reported that when you add up media exposure, social media impressions and actual sales, “the net present value to brands that Markle endorses is estimated to be $212.1 million”.
We’ve seen “The Meghan Effect” on tailored dresses, leather skirts, crossbody bags and high heels. But hiking boots? Well, that’s a first for Markle.
The hype around Markle’s boots reflects a wider cultural trend. The humble act of walking has had a millennial glow-up. The verb itself has been given a makeover, with the American term “hiking” infiltrating British lexicon, even if it’s just a quick trot around Hampstead Heath rather than a loop of the Hollywood Hills.
This boom in popularity can be pegged to the pandemic. In the early days of the UK lockdown, outdoor exercise was permitted to one hour per day. For many, walking the same loop of the local park became a daily ritual while TikTok was peppered with viral “my silly little walk” videos from Gen Z. When restrictions were slightly reduced but foreign travel still banned, people relished being able to stride up their nearest mountain.
Coinciding with this was a boom in “gorpcore” – the trend of outdoorsy gear in an urban environment, like wearing a Patagonia fleece and Salomon trainers to your local coffee shop.
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While it had been bubbling up in fashion for a couple of years, in the post-pandemic era North Face gilets and Arc’teryx parkas are now as commonplace on the foot of a mountain as they are on the front row.
Pre-pandemic, boomers formed the main cohort of walking groups such as those run by the UK-based charity Ramblers. Three years later, and it is Gen Z and millennials that make up more than 50 specific groups nationwide, while collectives such as GorpGirls who aim to “bridge female-led community through outdoor exploration” have their own merch.
Meanwhile, the latest “wellness retreat” celebrities such as Rebel Wilson are raving about is The Ranch, a week-long $7,600 hiking bootcamp in Malibu with summer pop-ups in Italy. Influencers who have taken part have posted about being woken up at 5.30am to embark on a 14-mile hike fuelled by six almonds. Maybe it’s time to revert to old-fashioned rambling.
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