Australian boot label Blundstone is celebrating its 150-year anniversary this year.
Over the the past one and a half centuries the business has grown from its humble begninnings in Hobart to have sold 25 million pairs of its famous Chelsea boot worldwide.
The business now operates in more than 70 countries through 10,000 shopfronts.
The top selling markets for the boot maker today are Canada, Israel, Australia and the United States.
Popularity is also growing in Italy, UK, Germany and Japan and in the last 12 months new markets were opened in Central and South America, South Korea and the Adria region.
While 2020 presents a new challenge to all businesses in the form of a global pandemic, Blundstone has overcome many challenges throughout its history including the Great Depression, both world wars and ever-changing fashion tastes and trends.
Blunstone CEO Steve Gunn said that while the business has supplied boots for the Australian army, an expedition to Everest and band members across the globe, a new demographic has taken interest in the historic brand.
"A younger demographic has discovered us, particularly online, and come at us very hard.
"We are an insider brand that appeals to those who appreciate brands with soul and a well-made product," he said.
The business communicates to these consumers vis its social media pages and has expanded its ranges over the years to include styles for women and children.
Other highlights for the Blundstone business over its 150 years of operation include:
- The establishment of the Blundstone factory at the beginning of the 20th century. The factory was pumping out 2,000 pairs per week. Prior to this, the business was only importing boots from Europe.
- When World War I broke out, Blundstone was one of 20 manufacturers contracted to collectively deliver 100,000 pairs of boots per month to Aussie troops. When World War II broke out Blundstone supplied half-a-million pairs of boots to Australian forces.
- In the 1960s, Blundstone's iconic series 500 elastic sided Chelsea boot was born.
- From the trenches of war, Blundstone boots then took to new heights in 1970 with its boots on the feet of an Australian expedition to Everest.
- In the mid 1980s, young Swedish farmer, Mats Lindberg, came across Blundstones while holidaying in Australia. He fell in love with the boots and began importing them into Sweden. Blundstone’s entry to the UK market followed a similar story. The USA soon followed.
- Shifting manufacturing offshore in 2007 enabled Blundstone to enter new markets in a cost-competitive way.