Blundstone Boots Review for Women

Summary

If you like the style, Blundstone boots can be an incredibly versatile piece in a women’s minimalist travel backpacking kit.

A mostly serious review from a wannabe PNWesterner.

It’s Sunday. A drizzly Sunday covered by gray clouds. You think, sure, I’ll go to the farmers market, pick up steak from the local butcher, stop by my favorite wine shop, and have myself a fancy little meal. You step outside, and what do you see? Blundstone boots. On everyone – men and women. They seem to be the go-to shoe to match the flannels.

An integral part of the PNW closet (even though the company is based in Australia – who knew), Blundstone boots (“Blundies”) are a classic leather Chelsea boot that has the benefit of looking timeless and the strength to take a beating when walking through a rain-soaked city or to the top of a mountain.

Now, I’m not going to lie to you; I was not impressed when I was first shown Blundstones. The look is not me – I’m a fun mix of classic and lazy – but I was looking for a waterproof boot that could act as a hiking boot when necessary. Skylar and I were starting to plan for a year-long trip with only a backpack to fit all my things so a versatile – and lasting – shoe was necessary.

Of course, there are many different types of waterproof/hiking shoes I could have gotten, so why bluestones? Easy. Yes, they are expensive, but I read other reviews of them, and everyone seemed to love them. Skylar’s also been eyeing them for a while, and if there’s one thing to know about Skylar, it’s that he takes the time to research EVERYTHING. He would have found it and presented it if there was a better option for what I needed. But my desire for a versatile shoe that looked good while also being waterproof and long-lasting made the choice an obvious one: Blundstones all the way.

So here are my thoughts. A quick aside – if you’re new to minimalist travel backpacking, even newer to hiking, and you aren’t entirely sold on all the plaid and work boots style of the PNW, or wherever you live, maybe you will care.

*For reference, I ended up with a size 10 after initially buying a size 9.

I actually feel cooler wearing them than I thought I would. Again, Blundstone aren’t my usual style, so I thought I’d feel awkward, but I enjoy them.

Initially, they were painful. They rubbed the top of my foot and cut into my ankles, but after wearing them and stretching them out, they’re perfect. They formed to my feet and provided ample support. I guess I should have worn them in a bit before I decided to walk four miles – oops.

While I don’t love the look of the front of the Blundstone boot, I think if I needed to get away with it, I could wear them to a fancier restaurant with the right tight/skirt/dress mix. But let’s be real, I bought them because I’ll be living out of a backpack for a year, so the idea that I will match the décor of every restaurant and bar we go to is just impossible. And also, there just aren’t many good options for women outside of Blundstones.

The best thing is they feel durable while providing the support I need while exploring new places. Looking at them and trying them on, I know they will last. I have an issue where I drag my feet and end up separating the boot from the toe of the foot, but I haven’t had that problem with these yet. I can also take on puddles like a champ.

Blundstone are perfect for:

• Exploring new cities (I’ve walked over 8 miles in them while exploring new cities, and my feet never hurt at the end of the day) 
• Hiking. I’ve worn them on long and short hikes. They: 
  • Keep my feet dry 
  • Stay comfortable no matter the terrane 
  • Act as a good stand-in hiking boot (I’ve never owned a pair of hiking boots, but I don’t think I need to after wearing these) 
  • Good traction on hills/rocks
• Walking in the rain: I hate wet feet. I’ve had “waterproof” shoes before, but outside of actual rainboots, they never hold up. So far, Blundstones are waterproof.
• They’re warm – so they’re especially good in colder climates (which is why they’re part of the PNW uniform)