At Ridge Merino, we're committed to innovation and sustainability. We're excited to introduce our latest development in Merino wool outdoor apparel: the Pursuit Collection. This athlete-inspired new line is built with advanced fabric technology that makes it incredibly durable and incredibly comfortable.
Origins of the Pursuit Collection
"The idea for the Pursuit Collection came from seeing a gap in the market for a lighter weight performance Merino wool fabric,” says Jeff Russell, co-founder of Ridge Merino.
Ridge’s partner athletes love lighter weights of Merino wool since they’re working hard in the mountains – having clothing that works with them is key. “Our athletes are always asking about it,” Jeff says. We envision the Pursuit hoodies and tees being perfect for backpacking, hiking, trail running, mountain biking, ski touring and more.
The fabric breakthrough for the Pursuit line came from Ridge’s relationship with a Japanese supplier known for their expertise in Merino wool. They introduced us to Axio fabric technology, which was exactly what we’d been looking for to create ultralight Merino wool gear.
Designed for High Output Performance
The development of the Pursuit Collection was driven by real-world use. Jeff personally tested the fabric for years in various scenarios – both high output uses like running and mountain biking and regular daily uses like traveling and working.
“I noticed some things were different about this t-shirt compared to other Merino wool shirts,” Jeff says. “It wasn’t shrinking, it handled moisture really well, it dried really fast, and it was really breathable because it was so light. It checked all the boxes.”
Samples of our Pursuit Collection were worn by our athletes and in-house testers to fine tune the design, and everyone agreed this durable, lightweight, stretchy fabric was something special.
The Pursuit Collection embodies Ridge’s commitment to creating versatile, high-performance gear, and thanks to Axio technology, we were able to keep the Merino wool content incredibly high. A lot of performance-focused Merino wool clothing has high amounts of polyester, but our Pursuit line is 85% Merino wool.
Why Durability Matters
Natural fibers are amazing in many ways, including the fact that they’re renewable and biodegradable. The downside is really light fabric weights can be susceptible to thinning or tears. But Axio technology turns that constraint on its head – this fabric has strength that’s impossible to get in any similar weights of 100% Merino wool but achieves this using very little synthetic material.
“The Axio fabric is the best we’ve ever tested – in labs and out in the wild – with maintaining its appearance and holding up over time,” Jeff notes. It’s resistant to both pilling and shrinking, making it even easier to care for.
Durability is a priority in the real world – you can trust it whether you’re wearing a heavy backpack for miles, climbing in a harness or scrambling up peaks. But it’s also important to us from a sustainability standpoint. A longer lasting garment means less clothing production and less waste created from tattered clothes you can’t wear any longer.
Shop the Pursuit Collection
Our initial Pursuit Collection launch includes a performance-driven hoodie (men’s / women’s) and super light t-shirt (men’s / women’s) in a few colors. This apparel is engineered to keep you cool, dry and unrestricted on all of your most demanding outdoor adventures.
