From Tassie to Princess Kate: The boot moving from hi-vis to high fashion

The city that never sleeps has been snoozing on the latest shoe trend, according to embroiderer Lauren Weeks. When The New York Times last month declared Blundstones “as the boot of the early 2020s,” Weeks remained nonplussed. Her neighbours have been ahead of the curve for decades.

“Everyone here in Tasmania wears them,” Weeks says. “They’re made here and we’re proud of them. I think most people are pleased to see them doing so well, but they’re still a part of the Tasmanian uniform.”

The New York Times article points out that the chunky brown boots have become a sidewalk staple in New York and Canada. They are also a favourite of Catherine, Princess of Wales, who wore her favourite pair last month at a charity launch and on a visit to Denmark last year.

At this week’s Melbourne Fashion Festival stylist Peter Simon Phillips expects to see the chunky rubber-soled boots in the front row and eventually on the runway.

“I think everyone has come down out of a heel and doesn’t want to go back up again,” Phillips says. “Comfort is key again and for women it’s such a relief. It’s a sturdy shoe that you get longevity out of. You can keep them for decades. They’ve got a bit more grunt than sneakers.”

The fashion community is driving growth for Blundstone, a family-owned shoe business, operating in Tasmania since 1870. The work industry, which sees the round-toe boots paired with Hard Yakka shorts rather than Chanel suits, accounts for 92 per cent of Australian sales, but fashion purchases are growing.

“Women are key drivers in the growth and popularity of Blundstone,” says Blundstone joint chief executive Adam Blake. “In most markets, the 24–35-year-old female segment is showing the fastest growth for both awareness and purchasing behaviour of our brand.”

With more than 3 million pairs of boots sold a year, Australia makes up 27 per cent of sales, with 36 per cent in the US and Canada and 28 per cent in Europe and Asia.