Customer Reviews Blundstone BL500 Original 500 Chelsea Boot

Disappointed to have to send these back. Given that were I live is rarely very cold, and the wideness of my foot, I was anticipating the unlined boot hitting the sweet spot for me. The length and width felt great- the 500s seem to have a little more toe box room than the lined 550s, but I have a high instep, and, particularly on the left foot, the exposed triangle of leather where the flex panel is sewn together pressed down on my foot so tightly and abrasively that my toes went numb. I've been wearing a pair of the 1609s for almost a year that initially were a little tight over the instep, but rather quickly eased into what are now incredibly comfortable. These were so excruciating, I couldn't conceive of giving them that chance. I really like the construction and the color- they have a nice vintage vibe compared to the more refined 550s and the various iterations- and can only imagine how great they would be once broken in. If you have a wider foot, and a low instep, these might be for you.

This is my 3rd pair of BL500 Blundstones and this pair was pretty much as expected. I was originally attempting to replace my last pair of Black boots, however after ordering 5 or 6 pair from various retailers and none of them fitting correctly (they all were running huge), I decided to switch to the Stout Brown color to see if that changed anything, which it did. They fit true to size as I was hoping for. This particular pair is a little extra snug at the front of my right foot, which I haven't experienced before, but not so bad that I'd consider changing size. It just needs to soften and relax a little and it should be fine. I went out for a 3 mile walk in the woods and it didn't cause any major issues. Overall the quality of the Blundstones I've owned to date have been exceptional - very durable and long wearing. My old pair is still intact and going strong just looking generally beat up after year of abuse. Great boots.

Please read the below statements from Blundstone about their boots. What most describe as "Runs Large" is actually Blundstones designed loose fit. All of their boots come with two insoles for switching out OR stacking. I have a narrow US10 foot so I always tried to go down a half size in Blunnies expecting good results. I ended up having a good fit around my foot but my toes hit the front of the boot when I stepped. If you stack your insoles just like blunstone recommends, you can take up about a half a size of room. I waer the B172, 500 and 550. The chisel toes are however longer in length so blundstone does recommend going down a half size to deal with that length increase. I hope this helps someone out in choosing properly. Length is primary consideration when fitting Blundstone boots. Walk around in the boots and get a sense of whether your front most toe is touching the front of the boots. If they are consistently touching the front of the boots, then the boots are too small. A thumb width (or minimum of an inch) of space between the end of the customer's foot and the end of the boot is recommended for a good fit. Width can be focused on now that you have determined the length of the boot. Blundstone boots are commonly referred to as outdoor slippers , referring to the ease of putting on and taking off these boots. Blundstone boots typically have a loose fit and a centimeter or two of heel lift is very common with Blundstone boots. If you still find that they fit too generously, the insoles provided in the box are helpful for snugging up the fit. It may also be common for you to feel pressure across the instep of the boot where the v-stitching comes across the instep. This pressure will often dissipate with regular wear after a two to three week period, once the leather begins to stretch. * Chisel toes are a bit of a longer fit than other Blundstone styles. In our experience, some people go down a size in this style to accommodate for the longer fit. * Please note that half sizes in Blundstones are a bit unusual they do not increase the length of the boot. Instead, they increase the amount of space over the foot by adding more leather creating a wider fit. Use that extra pair of insoles in the box if you find there is too much movement in your Blundstones. Doubling up on the insoles can take up about a size worth of space!

Probably the most comfortable pair of boots I've ever worn; they've been my primary footwear for over two years. I've put in many days of dozens of miles of walking, though I also see that leather quality is hit-and-miss. The right boot fared significantly worse than the left, with its outer surface peeling away, and holes forming in the front area. The stitching also failed. It should be noted that I've walked the soles almost completely off these boots, so it's not what I'd call premature failure, but one did a lot better than the other. The left boot looks pretty good, in fact it's almost something that I'd consider having resoled if it weren't for its mate being totally shot. Either way, two years later I'm buying an identical set and hope to get another two years.

I love my Blundies! The sizing is a bit difficult and they still are a little loose, but comfortable! With some new inserts they feel closer to a good fit. It's just the extra room in the width. My feet never get hot or cold.

Super comfortable, like a sneaker. Great for dog walks, cold weather. These boots run small. Buy at least a half size larger than usual.

I bought these boots to wear almost daily during winter, in place of my Danskos. They are comfortable and stylish enough. They are a little bigger around the top of my foot than I would like and I also thought the color is more black than "stout brown". However, they are sturdy, comfortable, and I expect to wear them for a long time.

Nice shoe - Shoe seems bit smaller than size chart they gave. A bit more stiffer than I expected. Nice looking shoe and for the function it’s fairly comfortable. Thought it would be more comfortable given the reviews. Overall fairly satisfied with look and comfort.

I wanted to love these!... I really did!I like the way they look on others, but not so much on me. I love their utilitarian diversity, but they just didn’t feel comfortable on my feet. Odd fit. Clunky. I’m returning.

NOT WATERPROOF! water seeps thru the crease in the leather.

This is my second pair of these boots. First pair wore through the bottom after 5-6 years of fairly regular use 5 months of the year. The quality of the leather seems to have gone downhill, as the new pair is harder/shinier.

Take two...better than the first! I had my eye on a pair of Blundstones ever since I traveled to Queensland. So, I ordered a pair of 500's. They arrived and I was immediately struck by the low-quality, light weight leather...only on the left boot! Zappos site said it is 2.5 mm thick. No way...more like 1.0 mm. I wore the boots around the house for an hour and the left boot's leather totally broke down and creased terribly. The right boot was fine. Supposedly, Blundstones are known for their quality leather, however, I found their leather is quite plastic-like. I exchanged that pair hoping it was a fluke. The second pair were definitely better quality leather and well-matched. I have been wearing them for 3 weeks with no issues. I gave them two stars overall, because of the inconsistent quality. These boots are lightweight and quite comfortable with heavier socks.

Sole fell apart. While they lasted, the shoes were good. Worked well in the rain. The upper was tight, but a local cobbler stretched it. Problem was that the sole fell apart. Literally. Chunks of the sole would come off as I was walking in them. The shoes were 4-5 years old, but had only been worn 25 (?) times. The shoes can't be resold. If the shoes were sold as a throwaway item, I would accept that, but supposedly the durability is awesome. That's certainly not the case.

I have to agree with the previous poster that the leather feels plastic-like. I like the style very much and the fit is fine, but this boot feels really cheap. The pull-tabs seem like they could be pulled off with a strong pull and the rubber sole has awkward indentation lines from the molding process. I also purchased a pair of Timberland's Mt. Washington boots at the same time and have to say that they are made to substantially higher standards, and are actually cheaper! My only hope for my Blundstone 500's is that they weather well.

Crap soles. Mine didn’t wear out after less than a year they disintegrated in a crumbly rubber mess. Applied for a warranty through their website but it’s a scam. They never bothered to answer. I had a pair in. The 1990s that lasted 10 years. Quality is definitely not the same now.

The soles of these boots fell apart after 2 years of very light use. The very this layer of rubber literally falls of in chunks creating flaps and renders boots unusable. Extremely disappointed by a boot at this price that is very poorly made.

I agree with the other reviewers that my beloved blunnies ain't what they used to be. The leather uppers are still pliant and nicely worn in but the soles have started to flake off and leave bits of black rubber all over the place. Actually the soles are almost gone now. Hey Blundstone! Please wake up and smell the fact that a dramatic change in quality has been noted by some of your most loyal fans and we don't want to give up on you. Let's talk!

I really liked these boots initially. The first pair that I owned began to separate after six months. Zappos exchanged them with little problem. The sole on the second pair basically disintegrated after about two years with good tread block remaining. They are in the landfill now. I will not purchase Blundstones again.

Beware: Blundstones are disposable. My Blundstones soles fell apart and they can't be resoled. They just crumbled into dust. I wore them in an office environment (no chemicals or industrial environment) three or four times a week. I took them to a few cobblers to have them fixed assuming normal wear and tear but the all said they couldn't be fixed The response from Blundstone was that I didn't wear them enough (as I said I wore them 3 or 4 times a week). Something about the "PU" soles needing to be compressed on a regular basis. This is a lot to pay for something that needs that much attention and can't be repaired. Stay away.

It's amazing that a boot that has stood the test of time could send their manufacturing overseas and now the boot feels cheap, plastic and the leather is actually painted not dyed. I purchased these against my better judgment and now I'm sorry to say I was right. My last pair lasted over 8 years and now these look old and worn after only a month.

It\'s heart-wrenching for me to write this review. This will be the first "one" star review I have ever sat down to type out - for this product the rating is justified. I have lusted after a pair of Blundstones for longer than I can remember. I finally broke down this week and ordered a pair. Like a little school girl on Christmas Day, I giggled and shaked as I anxiously opened the box after receiving them the next day (Zappos, you ROCK!). I pulled one boot out of the box and my jaw hit the floor. I could not believe how cheap and "plasticy" the boots felt in my hands. The leather is very thin and very tough. Not the supple high grade leather I would expect from a high end boot. I reluctantly slipped them on and immediately took them back off again. I looked inside at the tag - "Made in Thailand." That immediately explained all. I placed them back in the box with a heavy heart and sadly returned them. Those boots were not the Blundstones I had lusted after all these years. They are crap. I might have kept them if I only paid 50 bucks, NOT $150. I checked every shoe in my closet and, with the exception of a pair of Sidi cycling shoes and a pair of Redwing boots, every one was "Made in China." I guess that's where all the craftsmen are, because I have very little complaints with the quality of every single one of those shoes. Thanks Zappos for being such as awesome company. I hate to send these back to you, but Blundstone has lost my business for good.