Finally broke down & got a new pair of Blunnies. Actually, they were a gift from my mama, for my birthday, but I got to pick the present out. (& yeah, I'm perpetually late. But I actually managed to get them in January! That counts, right? 'cause we can celebrate my entire birth month! Pass the chocolates...)
My old Blunnies are actually getting holes in the soles. I was considering getting a new pair last year for my birthday, but was gobsmacked in the store to discover they're no longer Made in Australia.
Took me a whole year to reconcile myself to that sad fact. My new Blunnies are Made in Vietnam. That's ok, I guess. I mean, someone there is presumably happy in their new job, and supposedly Blundstone takes care with their foreign operations to provide decent employment standards. But still....I'm wistful. (& notice Daisy likes the old ones better too?)
Then I got to thinking how much more I'd be willing to pay for Australian ones & I think somewhere around 20% is where I'd start having a hard time justifying that much money for a pair of boots, even an awesome one like this. To give you some context, they're selling now for 170 CAD & IIRC, when I bought my old pair (5 or maybe even 6 years ago?) I spent around the same amount on the genuine Australian ones. SO.... do you think that Blundstone could really no longer make a profit making them in Australia and selling them for 170? And they couldn't jack up the prices and still retain customers? Or is it that they could make a bigger profit by making them abroad and still selling them for 170?
My new Blunnies will be my 'dress Blunnies' to go along with my dress jeans - for at least the first while.
I'll update in a few months on how they're wearing. I heard that Hunter wellies, which used to be hand-dipped in Scotland, started outsourcing to Asia a few years ago & the quality went way down (but the price stayed the same. Grrrr.)
What about you? Got any boot recommendations? Shoes? Go crazy. If it's for your feet, tell me what's good.
(OH and also? Where can I get good socks these days? I swear socks are disposable nowadays!!! I have a single pair of wool blend cross country knee highs which are still going strong & I think they're close to 20 years old & I wear them at least once a week all winter long. But all my other socks self destruct after a few wears. Help.)
6 comments:
I recently hosted a couchsurfer from Hobart who broke the news to me that Blundstones are no longer made in Australia. She said when the plant shut down she sent her dad over there to buy up as many pairs of Australian-made boots as he could grab, so she'd have a stash for the future. Very sad. I too would be willing to pay more for Australian-made but I guess there just aren't enough people like us to sustain the company?
My favourite Blunnies are the chunk sole. The most comfortable boot I've ever owned. As for socks, have you tried MEC?
Would it be worthwhile to get your old ones resoled?
Of course Daisy likes the old ones better, they smell like your feet:)
(and notice that I was kind enough to not add 'sweaty' to that):)
Vicki - MEC is a good idea but it means driving to Vancouver. Wahhhhh. On 12th! I'm a baby but that drive sucks.
Karen - apparently you can get them resoled in a few specialty places, including this one in Oregon which put light Vibrams on.
http://www.myshoeman.com/blundstone_shoe_repair.htm
Hmmmm. I'll have to think about it.
I've never owned a pair of Blunnies...they look great! I would wear those with my *dress jeans* too.
*dress jeans < guffaw chortle snicker
As for socks...I buy mine at Fields. ( I live in such a small town Fields is our department store..sigh )They are mens work socks and they last, ohhh, about a year before I toss them all and start over.
I was reading the above and sighed. I'm sooooo not a girly girl. Bur girly girls have less fun!
Oooh. I've been coveting Blundstones for a while. Very nice. I'm like @Hunde Haus as I buy my socks Fields. They're cheap and will last a year so I get my moneys wort.
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Blundstone Footwear
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