The Blundstone Boot caters to a consumer that cares about what their shoe looks like, but more so wants something that is rugged, comfortable, and well made. Blundstone hits on all of these traits when marketing this boot—their story preaches the exoticism and the brand’s rich history of boot manufacturing that is still based in Tasmania, Australia. The company was founded by John and Eliza Blundstone, who emigrated to Hobart, Tasmania from England. In the 18th century, England was seeing particularly interesting development in footwear driven primarily by the utilitarian needs of the army, and in particular the Duke of Wellington (for whom “Wellingtons” are named). These Blundstone in particular are called “The Original”—designed with elastic sides to be easily pulled on and off the foot. This makes these boots easy to wear, and also very comfortable. Interestingly, the company has a troubled financial history, and was bought and sold numerous times throughout the 1800s and 1900s. In 2007, Blundstone outsourced their manufacturing to Thailand and India, retaining effectively only enough production of solely gum boots in Tasmania to keep the origins of the brand intact. Their relative popularity among young adults especially seems to be a testament to the fact that the brand has indeed survived the turmoil–and that the boots are still a great product.
