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Blundstone is an Australian footwear brand, based in Hobart, Tasmania. The company was founded in 1855 by John and Eliza Blundstone, who emigrated from England to Tasmania. Blundstone is known for its line of laceless, elastic-sided, ankle-length boots. While the company is still headquartered in Tasmania, most of its manufacturing has been done overseas since 2007. This has caused some controversy, with the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union announcing a boycott of the company due to the move. While Blundstone still manufactures some of its products in Tasmania, including gumboots, the majority of its leather footwear is now produced in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, India, China, and Mexico.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Blundstone boots manufacturing locations | Vietnam, India, China, Mexico, Thailand |
| Blundstone boots quality | Some users have reported a drop in quality since the shift in manufacturing locations |
| Blundstone boots annual production | 400,000 pairs of gumboots |
| Blundstone boots ethical standards | The company prioritises ethical behaviour, human rights, healthy labour conditions, and environmental standards |
| Blundstone boots headquarters | Hobart, Tasmania |
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What You'll Learn
Blundstone boots are no longer made in Australia
Despite the backlash, Blundstone has defended its decision to move production overseas. The company has stated that it remains committed to ethical and sustainable practices, ensuring that its suppliers comply with strict requirements regarding human rights, labor laws, and environmental standards. Blundstone also employs its own inspectors at manufacturing sites to ensure these standards are met.
While the majority of Blundstone's leather boots are now produced in Vietnam, Thailand, India, China, and Mexico, the company still retains some manufacturing operations in Australia. Notably, Blundstone continues to manufacture its gumboots in Tasmania, producing around 300,000 to 400,000 pairs per year. The company's headquarters and research and design center are also based in Moonah, Tasmania.
Some customers have expressed concerns about the quality of Blundstone boots since the shift in production. However, others have countered that while there may have been an initial drop in quality, the boots remain a decent product, and any issues with quality may have been overstated.
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Blundstone boots are now manufactured in several Asian countries
Blundstone boots are no longer manufactured in Australia. While the company is headquartered in Hobart, Tasmania, and its leather boots are produced in several Asian countries, including Vietnam, India, China, Mexico, and Thailand. This shift in manufacturing locations has been a source of contention, with some customers and unions expressing dissatisfaction.
The decision to move production overseas was made in 2007 by the family that owns the company. While this move allowed Blundstone to expand its production capacity to meet global demand, it also led to concerns about a perceived drop in quality. Some customers have reported faster wear and tear on their Blundstone boots, with seams coming apart and soles separating.
However, Blundstone has implemented measures to ensure ethical and sustainable practices in its manufacturing processes, both locally and internationally. The company employs on-site inspectors at all manufacturing locations to ensure respect for human rights and compliance with labor laws. They also require suppliers to comply with strict standards regarding employee treatment, environmental impact, and healthy labor conditions.
Blundstone continues to manufacture its gumboots in Tasmania, producing around 300,000 to 400,000 pairs per year. The company remains committed to its Australian roots, values, and community involvement, as evidenced by its headquarters and gumboot factory in Moonah, Tasmania, and its efforts to support its employees, such as providing paid domestic violence leave.
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The company is still headquartered in Tasmania, Australia
Blundstone is a Tasmanian, family-owned company that is headquartered in Hobart, Tasmania, with its factory and current headquarters in Moonah, Tasmania. The company was founded by John and Eliza Blundstone, who arrived in Hobart, Tasmania from Derbyshire, England, in 1855. John worked as a coachbuilder until 1870 when he began importing footwear from England and later manufacturing boots in Hobart's Liverpool Street.
The company's best-known product is its line of laceless, elastic-sided, ankle-length boots. In addition to its iconic boots, Blundstone also produces gumboots, lace-up safety footwear, heavy industrial footwear, and casual boots. The company has a strong commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, ensuring that their suppliers comply with strict requirements regarding human rights, labour laws, and environmental standards.
While most of the manufacturing has been done overseas since 2007, the company's headquarters and administration, sales, marketing, communications, quality management, customer service, logistics, research and design, and gumboot factory remain in Tasmania. The gumboot factory has the capacity to produce 300,000 to 400,000 pairs of gumboots each year.
Despite the shift in manufacturing locations, Blundstone remains an iconic Australian brand, known for its high-quality boots and its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices. The company's Australian roots and values continue to be an important part of its identity.
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The quality of boots has dropped since production moved overseas
Blundstone boots are no longer manufactured in Australia. The company has moved its production overseas to countries like Vietnam, India, China, Mexico, and Thailand. This shift in production has led some customers to believe that the quality of the boots has dropped.
Some customers have expressed disappointment with the quality of Blundstone boots since the company moved its production overseas. They claim that the boots they purchased had seams falling apart and holes where the soles were separating from the boot within a year of purchase. The leather used in the boots has been described as thinner and wearing through much faster than previous versions. In addition, the soles of the boots have been called inferior and prone to chunking after just a few uses. These issues have led some customers to believe that the quality of Blundstone boots has decreased since production moved overseas.
On the other hand, some customers have shared that they have not experienced any quality issues with their Blundstone boots, even with frequent use and proper conditioning. They believe that the negative reviews are overstated and that the boots are still decent quality, although they may not hold a candle to the older versions made in Australia.
Blundstone, as a company, is committed to maintaining stringent quality standards across all its manufacturing locations. They employ their own inspectors on-site to ensure that their ethical and labor standards are met. The company also claims that their facilities in Thailand have a lower rate of manufacturing defects than their previous factory in Hobart, Australia.
Despite Blundstone's efforts to maintain quality, some customers still believe that the company has prioritized profits over quality by choosing to produce their boots in countries with cheaper labor costs. However, it is important to note that Blundstone has expanded its production to meet the demand of an ever-growing global market, and they continue to supply quality boots to their customers worldwide.
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Blundstone boots are made in countries with lower labour costs
Blundstone boots are no longer made in Australia. The company has shifted most of its manufacturing to countries like Vietnam, India, China, Mexico and Thailand. This move has been attributed to the lower labour costs in these countries, allowing Blundstone to increase profits while still supplying their expanding global market.
Blundstone's decision to outsource production has sparked controversy, with some customers and unions expressing dissatisfaction with the change. Critics argue that the quality of the boots has suffered as a result, with some reporting that their Blundstones have fallen apart after minimal wear. Additionally, there is a sentiment that the brand has strayed from its Australian roots, despite the company's insistence on upholding ethical labour standards and their continued local production of gumboots.
Blundstone has responded to these concerns by emphasising their commitment to ethical manufacturing practices. They employ their own inspectors at all manufacturing locations to ensure respect for human rights and compliance with labour laws. The company's requirements for ethical behaviour include the prohibition of forced or child labour, harassment, abuse, and discrimination, as outlined in their Factory Workplace Code of Conduct and Factory Labour Practice Certification.
While Blundstone's leather boots are no longer made in Australia, the company continues to be headquartered in Hobart, Tasmania, with a strong focus on brand strength and marketing in their domestic markets. They also manufacture gumboots in Tasmania, producing around 300,000 to 400,000 pairs per year.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Blundstones are no longer made in Australia. Most manufacturing has been done overseas since 2007.
Blundstone expanded its production capability to meet demand in an ever-expanding global market.
Blundstone leather products are currently sourced from Vietnam, India, China, Mexico, and Thailand.
Yes, Blundstone is still considered an Australian brand as it is headquartered in Hobart, Tasmania, and was founded in 1855 by English settlers John and Eliza Blundstone.
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