In 1981, Randy Merrell took apart a pair of cowboy boots and built the company's first boot by hand. It was called the Wilderness, and it is where Merrell shoes begin. He was a Utah bootmaker working out of a shop on his father's ranch, and Backpacker Magazine once called his handiwork "the most comfortable and functional boots in North America."

I like that origin because you can still see it. Two ex-Rossignol ski executives, Clark Matis and John Schweizer, partnered with him to start the company, and the brand has been owned by Wolverine World Wide since 1997. Randy stepped back as president in 1986 and went back to orthotics and custom boots near Vernal. What stayed behind was the idea: a boot should fit the person first and look like a boot second.

That idea runs through the Moab family, which the brand's Japan site dates to 2007. The Moab 3 in Olivine is sage suede and mesh with pink laces, and it is the one I would wear with a cream knit and straight jeans. The Moab 3 GORE-TEX in Umber is rust-brown suede with a chunky cream lug sole, the October pick for wet leaves. For something louder, the Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX in Vermillion is pure coral-orange, and the Moab 3 Jelly in Mountain/Spearmint has translucent overlays that look like a candy wrapper.

Softer options exist too. The Moab 3 Allure in Eggshell has a tonal floral pattern, and the Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX in Marble Pink is blush and ivory. Practical test: press your thumb on the toe and walk down a few stairs in the shop. If your heel lifts or your toes touch the front, go up half a size, because trail socks add bulk.

The brand's Japan site dates the Moab to 2007, but the trail running side owes a lot to the same hiking know-how. The Agility Peak 6 is described by the brand as decades of hiking innovation built to run, and the 45th Anniversary colorway is white with teal, pink and lime over a chunky cushioned sole. The Agility Peak 6 GORE-TEX in Diorite is gray and peach, and it is the one I would pull on for a wet fall morning.

If you like to feel the ground, look at the barefoot pair. The Trail Glove 8 in Edgecomb is a sage-beige low-profile shoe with coral accents, and the Vapor Glove 7 in Basalt is taupe with a peach heel patch. The brand says it worked with Vibram for 16 years on this line. These are not cushioned shoes, so I would start with short walks and build up.

For road to trail, the ProMorph in Edgecomb has a rocker midsole, a recycled-lace finish and a white and peach palette that goes with black leggings. The MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx is the race-day one, with a Matryx upper that combines Kevlar and high-tenacity polyamide threads in a single layer. The Antora 4 in Vapor Grey and the Morphlite in White/Frost Blue are the easy, light ones for everyday miles.

Fitting-room test: run on the spot and flex the shoe at the ball of the foot. It should bend where you do. What I would skip: the white racing shoes if your commute is muddy, because white mesh shows everything.

The Jungle Moc came from the company's design team led by Clark Matis, who paired an aggressive trail running outsole with a casual suede slip-on upper. The brand's Japan site dates it to 1998, and the brand says it was made as a comfortable slip-on for after the hike. By 2009 about 10 million pairs had shipped, per the company's history on Wikipedia. The Jungle Moc in Navy is the classic, with elastic gore and a dark sole, and it works with wool socks and a long skirt.

If you want a sneaker with some trail in it, the Wrapt in Rosewood is pink suede with a chunky brown lace and a rugged sole. The Wrapt Slip On in Black is the one for school runs and airport lines: black suede, stretch gore, wide toe box. The brand describes Wrapt as the feel-everything idea of its barefoot collection in a low-profile sneaker.

For lighter days, the Relay Fly Vent in Firetail is a red and orange knit with a cream sole, and the Cygnet Canvas in Chalk is a clean all-white court shoe that I would wear with a gray sweatshirt. The Sprint Anthem in Eggshell is a retro runner with suede panels, the Alpine 83 Sneaker Recraft in Adobe Rose is blush mesh and taupe suede, and the Crosslander 4 in Rosewood is the sporty one with a lug sole.

Test: slip each on without using your hands. If your heel pops out, the pair is too big. What I would skip: the white canvas one for a rainy commute.

Randy Randy's first boot was a hand-built leather hiker, and the boots here still carry that DNA. The Ontario Mid Waterproof in Raisin is the closest in spirit: raisin red leather with metal hooks and D-rings, a waterproof full grain leather upper and a cream sole. I would wear it with black tights and a corduroy skirt.

For a city option, the Harper Chelsea Waterproof in Black is glossy, has elastic side gussets and a lug sole, and goes under wide trousers. The Siren 4 Waterproof in Arbor is forest green and laces up like a proper hiker with a black Vibram sole. The Moab Speed 2 Mid GORE-TEX in Belize is light gray and mint, a lighter mid boot for dry trails.

When the temperature drops, look at the cozy ones. The Marquette Thermo Lace Waterproof in Tan is suede with a fleece collar, the Clover Mid Wool Waterproof in Dark Cherry has a wool lining, and the Sugarloaf Mid Lace Cozy Waterproof in Maple has a shearling-style collar over a Vibram sole. The Wrapt Mid Waterproof in Tobacco is tobacco suede with a barefoot-inspired lug sole.

Fitting test: wear the socks you will actually use and stand on a slope or the shop's incline board. Your toes should not hit the front on the way down. What I would skip: the shearling-collar boots for mild October days, since your feet will run warm.

The brand makes sandals the way it makes boots, with a contoured footbed and a lot of adjustment. The District 4 Post in Stucco is a beige leather slide-style sandal with a post strap, and the District 4 Backstrap in Stucco adds a hook-and-loop strap. Both have a full grain leather upper, and both go with cropped trousers and a crew sock if you are stretching the season.

The Fleur Leather Slide in Black/Stucco is a black leather slide with an adjustable strap on a lug sole, and the Fleur Leather Fisherman in Almond has woven cage straps in a warmer tone. Fisherman sandals are one of the few shoes that look right with a long linen skirt and a sweater in early fall.

For more support, the Haven Post in Black has a toe post and buckle, and the Haven Backstrap in Black adds a toe loop and cream lug sole. The Terran 4 Slide in Incense is a strappy tan slide with an orange contoured sole, and the Terran 4 Post in Sea is the navy and blue sport sandal that works for water walks.

Test: strap in, then walk on a hard floor for a minute. The heel should not slide and no strap should rub. What I would skip: toe-post styles if you dislike the strap between your toes.

I would begin with a Moab in a color you will actually wear, because it carries the 2007 hiking story. Then I would add the Jungle Moc in Navy for slip-on days, since the brand says it was made as a comfortable slip-on for after the hike.

If winter is close, I would choose one waterproof boot with a lining you can stand in all day. Keep a sandal for the end of the warm days, and keep your socks in the cart too.

It all started with one cowboy boot taken apart in Utah. Not a bad place to start a wardrobe.