Instantly comfortable out of the box, unisex, stylish, and ready for both the office and the trail- get ready to live in Blundstone Chelsea boots.
Blundstone’s focus is on a wide range of Chelsea boots with removable insoles, ranging from dress to casual to safety. We checked out their Super 550 Series in Redwood Leather (duh), along with their sheepskin footbeds that we already praised.
Blundstone’s boots are extremely soft, shock absorbent, and feel premium all the way through. There’s no “breaking in” period dropped on the consumer here, and with the wide range of colors to pick from, you may find yourself doubling up.
While boots that are too small will pinch your toes, boots that are slightly too large can really tear up your heels and ankles. Blundstone’s boots feature a tighter ankle that you really have to pull through, which stabilizes the boots when walking and hiking. They’re also super breathable.
So how do they compare to Astorflex’s Bitflex? In terms of comfort, aesthetics, quality, ethics, and heritage, these are both fantastic companies. When it comes to versatility though, Blundstone wins hands down, with interchangeable soles, far less weight, and more durability. The Astorflex is a city shoe.
There’s a more interesting call to make though. We’re in love with Blundstone’s Chelseas and Thursday Boots’ Lace-ups, but they both make a version of the other’s core offering. We’ll walk a mile in both and report back.
Update: 11/15/2017 Jillian: It’s not hard to fall in love with Blundstone boots. They’re sturdy, practically lifeproof, and they last.
When I got a chance to grab a pair for myself, I couldn’t pass up the one and only “Women’s Series” (lol). I’m not sure how these really skew to a women’s style, but they do have a much higher shaft and are a bit more streamlined than the classic 500 series. The slightly-slimmed down appearance made me feel more like I was wearing an ankle boot rather than a rain boot (which is originally what I had planned on wearing them for).
They’re what you should invest in, rather than a pair of clunky boots you’ll hate wearing the moment it stops raining.