Storm clouds are gathering, casting a dark, ominous shadow of unease. The mercury is dropping, and icy winds are howling through the trees just outside the window. To stay in bed under your warm blankets would be ideal. But, you have a laundry list of errands as long as Kris Kringle’s beard, which means it’s time to get up, get out, and confront the hazards of winter.
When the winter weather threatens to grab you with two hands and never let go, you’ll want a boot to insulate your feet without leaving you feeling as though you’re stuck in a walking cast. Luckily for you, the no-nonsense, go-anywhere, do-anything legends of the Aussie Outback are now available in a winterized form in the Blundstone 560.
The Blundstone 260 was our first introduction to Blundstone, a classic Australian brand that has spent 150 years crafting dependable footwear and establishing itself as an icon of industry and legend in the land Down Under. And while the Blunnie 260’s are built to endure, they likely never heard the phrase “winter is coming.”
Now, with the 560, Blundstone just turned your favorite boot into an all-season solution providing warmth, and protection from wetness and cold, all in a tough-as-nails classic Blunnie aesthetic.
On Performance & Design…
Nothing burns like the cold, so Blundstone’s full grain 2.3 waterproof leather uppers dominate wet conditions and help armor your feet against winter hazards. All the while, 200g of Thinsulate insulation and faux shearling lined footbeds conspire to keep feet toasty and warm in all but the nastiest winter weather.
Thick rubber soles with aggressive tread provides secure footing and durability in winter conditions while a steel shank solidifies the sole and improves energy efficiency when walking over tricky terrain. So go ahead, crunch across snowy sidewalks, tromp through icy slush, and fearlessly face the snowy build up in your driveway… from the porch… as you make your kids do the character-building-job of shovel duty.
Whether you’re supervising the winter chores, or tackling them head on, the 560 features Blundstone’s SPS Max technology designed to reduce fatigue and orthopaedic problems in the lower back, legs and feet. SPS MAX includes a large insert of PORON®, an advanced microcellular shock absorbing material under the heel, reducing the impact of each step keeping you comfortable, longer.
How do we know it works? In the midst of Northern California’s worst rain storm in over a decade, and a 30 foot tree threatening to fall into his house, our gear guru slipped on his 560’s, took on Mother Nature and tree in conditions no lab can recreate. The work was hellish, but despite nature’s nastiness outside and underfoot, his feet remained in heavenly comfort through it all.
Notes from the Field…
The Blundstone 560 offers the legendary boot in a form to keep your feet warm and comfortable through Fall and Winter. However, these are not intended to take the place of your heavy duty winter boots used for exploring in the backcountry or trudging through deep drifts of snowy white. Otherwise, the only critique offered by our field team was a slight frustration with the heel pull-tabs. Do to the manner in which they are stitched onto the boot, they don’t allow for a consistent ease of opening for your forefinger to help pull the boots on before heading out to face Jack Frost.
Bottom Line…
The Blundstone 560 will get you from chilly late autumn, through the cold, bleak winter, and into warm, sunny spring in comfort and style so you can enjoy the outdoors while your toes still think they’re in bed. All told, these easy-on, easy-off winter walkers are ready to withstand season after wet, frosty season of abuse and adventure.
Manufactured by Blundstone (blundstoneUS.com), the BL560 retails for approximately $199 and is available from www.BlundstoneUS.com and other reputable online retailers.
*Gumption Gear Review received the Blundstone 560 Boots at no cost and receives no monetary compensation for this or any related review. The item featured was provided solely in return for our honest views and opinions.