Merrell has quietly become one of the most collab-friendly names in the outdoor space, and its latest partner might be its strangest yet. P.A.M. (Perks and Mini) is the Melbourne label founded in 2000 by Misha Hollenbach and Shauna Toohey, a brand that’s spent a quarter century blending art, subculture, and psychedelia into clothing.
Now the two have joined forces on a two-shoe capsule built around a single concept, amphibious life. And they’re committed to theme. The PDP literally reads “amphibious footwear inspired by amphibious creatures.”
Born on a Busted Bike Trip
The origin story for this collab is a good one. After his shoes fell apart mid-way through a 50-mile bikepacking trip, Hollenbach finished the ride in a pair of Hydro Mocs and came out the other side a Merrell convert.
That personal connection is what turned this from a standard licensing exercise into something weirder and far more interesting. Rather than slapping graphics on existing models, P.A.M. treated both silhouettes as organisms mid-mutation.
The Cham Storm GTX
The Chameleon has been a Merrell trail staple since the early 2000s, but we’ve never seen it like this. The engineered mesh upper wears a custom 3D silicone treatment that gives the whole shoe a reptilian, scale-like texture, and it’s unsettling in the best way.
Underneath the frog aesthetics sits some real hardware. A waterproof GORE-TEX membrane handles the wet stuff, and a toggle quick-lace system makes slipping these on and off a breeze.
There’s also a FloatMax foam midsole paired with a lugged Vibram outsole for actual trail duty. A rough sand-spray finish on the molded TPU heel counter adds one more layer of texture, because why stop now?
The Hydro Next Gen Moc
If the Cham is the reptile, the Hydro is the amphibian. P.A.M. developed this one with frog patterns, textures, and habitats in mind, sculpting the water-friendly EVA upper into something that looks pulled from a pond rather than a factory.
The Teak colorway gets marbled sidewalls and speckled blue flecking, while the FloatMax midsole and a proper treaded rubber outsole (a departure from the original’s full-foam build) make it far more capable on dry land than the clog that inspired it.
Spec Sheet
Collaboration: Merrell x P.A.M. (Perks and Mini)
Models: Cham Storm GTX / Hydro Next Gen Moc
Colorways: Pigeon/Cement (Cham) / Teak (Hydro)
Waterproofing: GORE-TEX membrane (Cham Storm GTX)
Upper: 3D silicone-treated mesh (Cham) / Sculpted EVA foam (Hydro)
Midsole: FloatMax foam (both)
Outsole: Vibram rubber (Cham) / Treaded rubber (Hydro)
Closure: Toggle quick-lace (Cham) / Slip-on (Hydro)
Pricing & Availability
Both shoes are available now, with the Hydro Next Gen Moc priced at $120 and the Cham Storm GTX at $190. You can grab them through Merrell or P.A.M.’s webstore.
Recap
Merrell x P.A.M. Footwear Collaboration
Melbourne’s Perks and Mini reimagines the Chameleon and Hydro Moc as the amphibian-inspired Cham Storm GTX and Hydro Next Gen Moc, priced at $120 to $190 and available now.
