Could SkyGoat Be the Next Melanzana?

Outdoorsy Coloradans are notoriously picky about their gear. Ski boots that don’t fit right can sabotage your stoke. Running shorts that rub you raw can ruin your quest for a PR on the trails. And don’t even get us started on hiking boots (which track as work attire in the right Boulder office).

In this way, Ram Mikulas is your average Centennial State outdoorsman. “I’ve always been an active person, cycling and running and ski mountaineering,” he says. “And I’m pretty particular about my gear and clothing.” The world-traveling ski mountaineer has a few Leadville-stitched Melanzanas in his closet, but the baggy, square-cut midlayers didn’t always achieve the balance between adventure-ready functionality and everyday comfort he was looking for.

But instead of complaining to his biking buddies about the shortcomings of adventure apparel on the market, Mikulas set out to create the cozy, versatile top he was envisioning.

SkyGoat’s Origin Story

The Littleton native’s initial concept—a comfy, color-blocked pullover hoodie with a kangaroo pocket—was the first piece of activewear the 52-year-old stitched together on his wife’s sewing machine in the summer of 2019. Although his earliest sample was cobbled together with paper grocery bags, Mikulas felt he had the makings of an ideal mountain midlayer—one that was warm but not bulky, breathable but not flimsy, stylish and functional. From there, Mikulas began attending outdoor trade shows and piecing patterns together from his closet, eventually working with a Denver manufacturer to create prototypes. He played around with thumb holes, zippers, pockets, scuba-style hoods, and other features.

“My first design was ambitious—I packed in way too many features, thinking I could create the ultimate [midlayer] right out of the gate,” he says. “But I quickly learned that complexity adds cost and sometimes takes away from what truly matters.”

To put his prototypes to the test, Mikulas enlisted his wife and friends to wear his samples while climbing, hiking, and camping. And after several months of trial and error, Mikulas officially launched SkyGoat, named after his love of adventuring above treeline, in October 2020.

How is SkyGoat Different From Melanzana?

Although the look and pillowy soft feel of the microgrid fabric is similar to that of beloved Melanzana’s, Mikulas’ proprietary Goatgrid is made of polyester yarn sourced from recycled water bottles, which is breathable, warm, and hydrophobic. The innovation was born out of necessity when the U.S.-made Polartec fabric Mikulas originally used was discontinued one year into his business venture.

Developed in partnership with a boutique manufacturer in Taiwan, Goatgrid is lighter than a standard fleece (170 g/m², in nerd parlance) and waffle gridded to create small air pockets that trap warm air against the skin and channel moisture away for excellent temperature regulation. Because, really, who wants to break out in an icy wind-whipped sweat while summiting a fourteener? The fibers’ water-repelling properties and impressive packability have earned SkyGoat acclaim among the hardcore outdoorsy set, especially thru-hikers, Mikulas says.

Even the placement of the hoodie’s seams is intentional. The arm stitching wraps around the back of the hoodies, rather than in a circle around the shoulders and armpits, for ultimate freedom of movement. “You can cozy up to the campfire after a day on the river, but you can also wear it on the river while rowing, and it doesn’t get in the way of that movement,” Mikulas says.

And while Melly’s hoodie designs are limited to pullovers with or without front pockets, SkyGoat offers a slew of styles. “Our product variety is big,” Mikulas says. “Full zip-up, collar, hood, no zip, half-zip, thumb holes. We have a lot of functionality differentiators.”

But perhaps the biggest differentiator is SkyGoat’s availability. Appointments at Melanzana’s Leadville shop and production facility are currently booked eight months out—and that’s just to browse its racks in-person. Mikulas’ supply (and demand) is a bit more accommodating. SkyGoat—still a one-man operation and Mikulas’ side hustle from his Summit Cove home—posts all its inventory online and has shipped hoodies and jackets to all 50 states (and overseas).

What’s Next For SkyGoat?

Though SkyGoat is predominantly sold online, the jackets and pullovers have appeared on a handful of Breckenridge retail shelves, including at Limber Grove. Mikulas is working on releasing a lighter-weight half-zip pullover and microgrid jogger pants this year and says designs for a dress and skirt are in the works. The grand dream, though, is a mountain hub or big barn–style building that will serve as SkyGoat headquarters and a retail space, ski and bike service shop, and a community hub with a taphouse, ice cream counter, and coffeeshop.

“This will be a space where the outdoor community can come together over yard games, live music, and a fire pit,” Mikulas says. “It’s about more than just gear—it’s about fostering connections, sharing stories, and building something that truly feels like home for adventurers.”