Blundstone Boots

[ozwinner]

I dont usually get upset when things are made off shore as I figure there is a reason.

But lay off my boots..

I would have paid $200 per pair of Blunnies if it saves jobs here rather than the $80 I have been paying..

I hope RM Williams are still made here as they are looking like the replacement boots for me.

Al

[duckman]

I believe that R.M. Williams went offshore a couple of years ago.

As for Blundstones, they lost me about five years ago when they changed the style of the boots that I was wearing and the new style didn't suit my feet. I've been through Jenkins, worst boots I've ever owned and about two years ago happened across King Gee. They suit me perfectly and cost around $75.00 from Big W, less when they're on special.

[jmk89]

On RMW - two friends of mine are directors of RMW and they tell me that most of the clothing is made offshore, but all the leather (and especially the boots and saddles) are still made in Australia. In fact, they tried to find manufacturers for the clothing, but no-one who could do the quantities could give consistent qulity and no-one who could do the quality could come close to the volume required - price then became an issue, but that wasn't the first criterion. However, since RM's did the boots and leather in Oz and really had little clothing to speak of until recently, little of which was done in Oz, no jobs have been lost here, just the opportunity to create some more.

[duckman]

On RMW - two friends of mine are directors of RMW and they tell me that most of the clothing is made offshore, but all the leather (and especially the boots and saddles) are still made in Australia.

That's good to hear. One day I'm going to buy a pair of RM's boots. Dress boots though, not work boots. I figure everyone owes it to themselves to own at least one pair of RM's during their lifetime.

Cheers,

[Bleedin Thumb]

Al Blunies are cr## any way.
The way I think of it is that I spend about 10 hrs a day in them sometimes even on week ends.
I spend $350 or more for my boots but...
1. They are fully waterproof
2. They are thermally insulated with gortex and breath
3. They are very, very comfy
4. They last for 2 - 3 years.
5. And I'm worth it

The current model are Merrell previous I've had Lakeside and Redwings seems the yanks can make a good boot.

Do a net search they seem expensive but you eliminate a lot of that tiredness at the end of the day so its a small investment and (tax deductable).

[Daddles]

I've had a pair of RMW boots to work in and I haven't wasted my money with them again. The boots were okay, sort of, and sure, the soles only lasted six months where other brands did waaayyyy better, and you could get them repaired by local 'craftsmen' at the factory, but the hyper expensive repairs were horrible and no inducement to support local 'craftsmanship' (and that's without all the lies and stuffing around I went through). In those days, I lived a mile from the factory so I am talking 'local'.

The unions have to be careful with this Blundstone thing. The original stories sounded like the company was going to look after its employees but with all the chest beating from the radicals (such as the construction workers union - lower case because I don't know their proper name), you could forgive the company for rethinking it and doing what so many businesses have done. Of course, that could all be media spin too, but if the company is looking after the people it's sacking (such as paying them their entitlements), I don't like them being cast as demons.

Of course, there is the company claim that labour here is 12 times what it'll cost in India and Asia. If that's true, why are we supporting slave labour?

Richard
concerned the undercurrents are going to be more complicated than we'd like to think

[DavidG]

Keeping it simple.
We gets what we pays for.

If we (the consumer) don't buy AU made because of the cost then do not blame the manufacturer in trying to reduce their cost so they can compete.

[ozwinner]

Keeping it simple.
We gets what we pays for.

If we (the consumer) don't buy AU made because of the cost then do not blame the manufacturer in trying to reduce their cost so they can compete.

But I was buying them..
Its not about competition or reducing costs (that sounds like some spin from a manufacturer), its about maximizing the profits and bugger the workers.

Al

[JDarvall]

I have always worn bloodstones.....till recently as well.

I wear ' Hard yakka, steel tips ' now from k-mart for 60 bucks.........cause I'm just such a HARRRRRRRD man. ......

hard yakka, hard yakka.......hard yakka, hard yakka, hard yakka...... .

with these boots now, I CAN do anything..... I managed to pull a mining truck up a hill today by rope.... didn't even grunt. Cause I'm a HARRRRRD man.

Only chippys are hard men......not like you bricklayers in your volleys and pink fairy dresses, eh Al ?

[Stuart]

Hear hear Al. I don't buy boots often.....because I buy good boots. And the pricetag is not ruler I use find which one measure up to my requirements. Country of origin rates a lot higher.

Australian industry can't compete on price. So they should blow the opposition out of the water with quality.

And stop importing crap.

[olddog]

Hi,
I live in Goulburn NSW we have a boot manufacturer here called BAXTERS, they have done it a bit different, they now import the uppers,which are the costly bits and sew them together at Goulburn the factory is still working with only 5 or 6 people and they call in more if needed, so some jobs still in town, they just could not compete with over sea,s costs, they make elastic sided boots for the Police,Airforce etc,but the Government calls contracts and takes the cheapest price and bugger the Australian workforce, boots were coming out of the factory for say $50 and retailers sell them for $200 plus I don't blame people for for not buying them, you can go to the markets and buy boots for $10 .............Peter

[namtrak]

.......Of course, there is the company claim that labour here is 12 times what it'll cost in India and Asia. If that's true, why are we supporting slave labour.....

With limited knowledge of international economics I think the salaries relate more to the cost of living in the relative country. To say someone earning $30,000 in Australia as opposed to $2000 in another country is slave labour, I think doesn't take into account how much it costs to live in Australia as opposed to to how much it costs live elsewhere.

I actually think both the unions and the employers have a legitimate case. The union wants to make sure that employees in Australia earn enough ($30,000) to pay rent, bills, groceries etc whilst employers want to cut their wage costs by around 70-80%. It creates a serious paradox, for which I don't believe any government, employer group or union would have a simple answer. What case to answer does Telstra have, if it outsources it's call centres to India, when it (Telstra) returns a dividend to it's share holders. I mean how many share holders have thrown in the towel in disgust because Telstra is out sourcing some of it's services?

Blundstone is in exactly the same position, they will save a huge amount on their wages bill.

Personally I'm all for leather, lace up, steel capped boots of any brand. Maybe there's a boots poll brewing!!!

[Christopha]

Tried Redwings, absolute crap, lasted under 3 months, tried Rossis', not bad but not as good as me Blunnies.... and incidentally now the last pair of bloody blundstones I ever purchase..... Not going to buy Blunnies made in fargin Indja by "rashid the ratty"! I want boots made in Oz by Bruce and Ocker and Nev or maybe Narelle!

[Iain]

Used to get issued with Blundstone and reckoned the box would be more comfortable, I opted for Rossi, which I think were locally made.

[Grunt]

Just when their down, someone really sticks the boots in.