Blundstone Footwear is an Australian footwear manufacturer existing since 1870 with its headquarters in Hobart, Tasmania. Blundstone produces mainly protective footwear for professional use - industry, agriculture, but also for daily wear, even for children. The boots are fondly referred in Australia as "Blunnies." Every pair of Blundstone boots has a two-layered polyurethane vulcanized sole, which is not glued. Thanks to this process the soles do not become unglued even after many years. Blundstone boots are a status symbol, icons in Australia and the United States, but also enjoying a popularity world-wide. Blundstone boots have especially become popular within the film industry and are worn by directors, camera operators, scenographers and yes, even actors.
Blundstone was founded by English settlers who emigrated to Australia. John and Elizabeth Blundstone arrived in Hobart from Derbyshire, England on October 14, 1855. John Blundstone worked as a coach builder until 1870 when h
e began importing footwear from England and later manufacturing boots in Hobart's Liverpool Street. In 1892, the eldest son, Sylvanus, joined the business and thus J. Blundstone & Son was established. They manufactured boots on Collins Street and later founded a second outlet on Campbell Street. Jon Blundstone's second son, William, ran the company's importation arm as W.H. Blundstone & Co. Both companies initially prospered, but at the turn of the century, they found themselves in financial difficulty, which resulted that the companies were sold to the Cane family in 1901. W. H. Blundstone & Co. went bankrupt in 1909. The Cane family ran J. Blundstone & Son until the Great Depression in Australia which saw the company being sold once again, this time to two brothers, James and Thomas Cuthbertson who bought the company in 1932. The Cuthbertson brothers consolidated the manufacturing operations, retaining the Blundstone name for the company's tannery in South Hobart, and the current factory and headquarters in Moonah.
