Columbia Montrail

Menno Van Wyk founded a company in Seattle, Washington called One Sport in 1982 that developed and sold trail running and hiking shoes. In 1997 it was rebranded as Montrail. The same year, their hiking boot Moraine was rated Best Hiking Boot in Backpacker Magazine. In 1999 the company patented stretchable Gore-Tex in the Java GTX shoe. In 2002 it created the first "shoftshell" shoe made with Schoeller fabric. IN 2004 "Gryptonite" ultra-sticky rubber was introduced, and in 2005 PRFRM thermo-moldable foam was introduced in the Molokai and Molokini flip flops, Enduro-Soles, and rock climbing shoes; Gryptonite rubber was extended to trail running shoes; Hardrock was introduced. In 2006 Montrail was acquired by Columbia Sportswear for a cash payment of $15 million plus the assumption of certain liabilities.[2] The company and its 25 employees relocated to Portland within the year. Columbia continued to use the Montrail brand through 2016. However, in 2017, Montrail was discontinued as a brand when Montrail was sub-branded as Columbia Montrail.[3]

• 2003 — Excelerace XCR won Editor’s Choice in Backpacker Magazine and the D7 earns Editor’s Choice in Climbing Magazine.
• 2005 Hardrock won awards in Health Magazine and Outside Magazine
• 2006 Continental Divide wins Best Trail Shoe Debut by Runner's World Magazine and Editor's Choice by TrailRunner Magazine.
• 2007 — Namche was named Best Fastpacking Boot and the Java XCR is named Most Supportive Ultralight Boot by Backpacker Magazine.

The company has sponsored ultrarunning athletes, rock climbers, and related events in the United States since 1996, and now supports 88 athletes. It also hosts and sponsors ultrarunning and trail running events in the United States. The Montrail Ultra Cup is a series of six ultrarunning events, culminating at the Western States Endurance Run, a 100 mile ultramarathon.[4]

• www.columbia.com/montrail/ — Columbia Montrail site
• Montrail Blog