Why Are We Called Merry People?

Hey everyone, Dani here!

A question I get asked a lot is: “Where did the name Merry People come from?"

I love this question, because I love sharing the story behind our name. So let’s dive in!

The Story Behind Merry People

Merry People started as an idea, born out of a practical frustration, in 2014.

At the time, I was working in a corporate job in Melbourne, Australia (notorious for its unreliable weather!) and looking for a comfortable, quality, everyday pair of boots I could wear on my commutes that would also be suitable to walk into my corporate office.

Growing up on a Victorian farm, gumboots were a part of my daily life; reliable, durable, comfortable and ripe for adventure! But, whilst I was living in the CBD, I couldn't find an all-weather boot to get me from my daily commute to the corporate world and then back to the farm on weekends.

During this time, I was searching for more creativity and happiness from my work. I took a pretty crazy leap of faith and set out to create my own boots. Sketches in hand, I reached out to a friend for some technical help, and the first Merry People boot was born.

I wrote up a business plan and booked some flights to China to meet some potential suppliers.

I was scared, nervous, but also very excited about my idea!

I started selling very grass-roots, at weekend farmers markets, which was hard work (having days with zero or only one or two sales was very deflating!).

But the experience taught me so much and gave me the opportunity to meet our customers.

Merry People has slowly grown over the following years, and I feel so grateful for it to be living my own dream adventure - creating a product I genuinely love that makes people happy! I am incredibly grateful for the journey so far, and I still have to remind myself as a busy mum and CEO to embrace all the mess of life, relish the unexpected, and stay present in the smaller joyful moments every day.

So, Why The Name ‘Merry People’?

Gumboots have always reminded me of happy childhood moments, and putting them on to get messy outside was just pure fun. With this in mind, I wanted to build that positive, joyful feeling into my brand, and the word 'merry' felt just right.

After all, I want everyone to feel merry in our boots!

I want to inspire people of all ages to put on their boots and discover what makes them happy and feel alive, whether that is in the garden, the art studio, at a music festival, walking the dog, or out at the park with the kids.

To me, that is what Merry People is all about.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.