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Inside Hook Review: Can a Vegan Boot Live Up to the Blundstone Name?
By Blundstone Canada,
Original Article by Alex Lauer on Inside Hook, January 10, 2022.
I tested the Australian brand's first vegan Chelsea boots against my old-school pair.
Can a 100 percent vegan boot live up to the Blundstone name? I got my hands on a pair of the brown #2116s to see for myself. They’re the closest in style to the pair of Blundstones I’ve been wearing most days for the last year and a half: the brand’s150th anniversary bootsthat are themselves a riff on the original #500. I’ve kept these leather Chelsea boots by the door in case I need to run out for anything as they’re easy to slip on, I’ve worn them through Minnesotan winters even though they may not technically be winter boots, and I’ve accidentally melted one partially in a campfire but have kept on wearing them because they really are that tough.
The new vegan #2116 (left) next to my well-worn leather #150 boots. - Alex Lauer
During testing, I purposely did everything you’re not supposed to do with new boots. Instead of pulling them off gently with my hands, I pressed the toe down on the heel and kicked them off. Instead of removing caked dirt, not leaving them in direct sunlight and washing the removable footbed as needed, as they suggest, I left dirt and snow sit on them, left them out in the freezing cold in the sun and haven’t done any sort of cleaning. It’s all in the name of science, but also how most people will probably treat them.
At the end of a few months of testing, not only have the vegan boots exceeded my expectations, but they still look like real leather. A lot of this certainly comes down to the meticulous design from Blundstone and rigorous testing cited by the company, but at the heart of it are the material choices, specifically the synthetic microfiber upper made of onMicro and the lining made of onSteam, both of which are sourced from Grupo Morón, a technical fabric developer in Spain. The onMicro material was developed to replicate natural cowhide, both in look and in performance; it is completely waterproof and can withstand even some abrasive chemicals. The onSteam lining meanwhile is supposed to feel like skin, while offering temperature regulation as well as antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
The best part might just be the price. How much is Blundstone charging you for all this state-of-the-art, animal-loving, PETA-approved boot tech? The same $200 they charge you for the boots they’ve been making for decades. So go ahead, grab a bucket of vegan fried chicken while wearing your vegan Blundstones. You don’t even need to consider yourself a vegan to do it.
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