Blundstone’s been around for ages and, as a devotee of high-quality, hardwearing Chelsea boots, you might have come across the Australian brand on your hunt for the perfect pair. But you’ve uncovered that there’s more to Blundstone than meets the eye. Blundstone 500 vs. 550, you wonder?
Both are the brand’s bestsellers. Both are perfect for everyday wear, whether you’re wearing them with a suit set to the office or rocking them with protective gear when you’re hitting the great outdoors. But you know that, even though they’re super similar, there’s a myriad of differences that set them apart.
Before you head to the nearest Blundstone store, we’re more than happy to explore these differences and make sure you take home the perfect pair of Chelsea boots you always wanted to own. What’s there to know about Blundstone? What’s the difference between the OG and the Classic? Read more down below!
About Blundstone
Whenever you’re Google searching Chelsea boots, you’re met with a myriad of Blundstones. Well, that’s because they’re one of the OG Chelsea boot brands that took the world by storm before you were even born.
Blundstone’s an Australian footwear company based in Hobart, Tasmania with deep-rooted family values that make the brand worth your while.
Blundstones or Blunnies, Chelsea boots with no-nonsense leather uppers and elasticated sides, are the brand’s best sellers, but Blundstone produces Wellies, men’s and women’s safety footwear, and heavy-duty industrial boots, too.
Why’s Blundstone popular outside Australia, too? John and Eliza Blundstone, the founders of the company, emigrated from England to Australia around the 1850s. John started a business by importing footwear from England and selling it in Hobart.
After a while, he started a footwear factory in Hobart. And the rest was history. Blundstone became one of the most popular and prominent footwear factories in Australia and slowly made its way outside Australia, too.
Nowadays, Blundstone’s known for producing high-quality, hard-wearing footwear you can rely on no matter what. Blundstone came out with an array of Chelsea boot styles over time, and now we’re going to compare two of the most memorable ones. Blundstone 500 vs. 550, anyone?
Blundstone 500 vs. 550: How do the Original and the Classic Chelsea boots compare?
1. History
When you’re trying to choose between two best sellers, you might need to dig a little deeper to see what prompted the brand to start producing them.
While the history behind the Blundstone 500 and 550 might not sway you one way or the other, you’re guaranteed to learn a little more about the two iconic styles.
Starting from the beginning of the Blundstone story, the Original Blundstone 500 series started in the 1960s and featured laceless, elastic-sided, ankle-length boots that became a Blundstone staple right away.
With more than 25 million pairs of 500s sold, there’s no question that these boots were made for walking. Blundstone’s Classic series or the 550s, on the other hand, were meant to be a bigger and better version of the Original Blundstone 500s.
With a few new features, the 550s were supposed to be the ultimate Chelsea boot, the crème de la crème of Blundstone boots. And, they were! After they were released in 2017, they became more popular than the 500s.
2. Design
When referring to the way the two Chelsea boots were designed, we do need to underline that there are little to no differences that would sway you one way or the other.
Blundstone 500 and 550 are practically the same – both are made with brown premium water-resistant leather, brown elastic sides, and durable TPU outsoles. We’d say that the one difference worth mentioning might be that the Classic series features a wider fit than the Original series.
Moreover, the Classic series comes with a leather lining for warmth, softness, and comfort which can’t be seen on the Original series – the OGs are lined with cotton, though.
3. Comfort and fit
We wish there was a simpler way to settle the Blundstone 500 vs. 550 battle. Both boots are comfortable because they’re made with quality fabrics that allow airflow and keep your feet toasty without making them sweaty.
Because of the quality fabrics, both Blunnies are durable, too, but that’s beside the point. When you’re adamant about finding comfortable footwear that’s going to keep your feet happy and healthy, you can count on both Blundstones to get the job done.
With that out of the way, though, we do need to mention that the sizing might be a bit of an issue. We recommend shopping on the official Blundstone website because they’ve set up their online store in a way that makes it easy to find the correct size, whether you’re looking for men’s or women’s sizing.
Knowing the differences between UK/AUS sizing and US sizing before buying can make or break your shopping experience, too.
Whether you’re on the hunt for a narrow fit or you’re someone who struggles with wide feet, you can’t go wrong with either of the two. Both Blundstone Chelsea boot styles fit perfectly.
4. Quality
Blundstone boots are made to last you a long time, that’s for sure. When you check the official Blundstone website, you can see that the brand claims that “Blundstone’s are quite possibly the most durable, most comfortable boots ever made.”
We couldn’t agree more considering that both the 500s and the 550s were made with high-quality leather, rubber outsoles, and steel shanks.
We do need to underline that the longevity or the durability of Blundstone boots depends on a few factors. Whether they were damaged from the get-go, whether they were cared for properly, and whether they were stored the right way.
With that out of the way, though, Blundstone boots can serve you anywhere between two and seven years – with an average amount of wear, that is.
5. Leather
When you read the product deets and see that whatever you purchased was made of leather, more often than not you go “Wow, that’s great quality!”
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that because leather’s known as a high-quality material. After all, leather’s lightweight, breathable, comfortable, and durable.
What’s not to adore? Well, not all leather’s made the same. Blundstone boots, both the 500s and the 550s, are made with chrome-tanned genuine aniline leather which happens to have a looser pore structure compared to the higher-quality full-grain leather.
Now, that wouldn’t be a problem with affordable alternatives. But, Blundstone boots are up there when we’re referring to the price (more on that down below, though).
Blundstone 550s are different because they’re made with leather that’s been dyed all the way through, unlike the 500s which look a little rough around the edges.
6. Soles
OK, now we’re talking. When you compare the 500s to the 550s, there’s no doubt that the soles make for the biggest difference.
With an added heel cap and a couple of inches, the 550s are the superior series, that’s for sure. Both are made with padded midsoles and high-density foam pads for comfort. Both are equipped with underwhelming foot beds considering they’re expensive.
But the 550s take the cake because they’re made with removable comfort footbeds with XRD Technology for shock absorption and comfort, as well as an extra set of footbeds for a custom fit. What’s more, the 550s are made with a 10mm TPU outsole compared to the 5mm TPU outsole of the 500.
What do you think?
7. Break-in period
Worry not, Blundstone boots do not require a break-in period. When you get your hands on one of the two Blundstone boot styles, you might notice that the leather’s a little stiff and you might think you’re going to need to break them in before you can wear them comfortably.
We’re here to say you don’t need to do that. Wear them with your thickest pair of socks for the first time because there’s always at least a little resistance and you’re good to go. We suggest doing that with every pair of boots when you’re suffering from feet-related problems, too.
Wear them around the house before you’re comfortable enough to wear them out. Other than that, though, you shouldn’t experience bruising or blistering from Blundstone boots.
8. Affordability
Blundstone 500 vs. 550, which ones are more affordable? More times than not, when you’re trying to choose between two brands, you opt for the affordable one because you want to save your money, right? Moreover, you have to make sure that the quality you’re getting matches the price you’re paying.
We’re all guilty of that! With Blundstone 500 and 550, you don’t have to worry about that because they’re far from affordable anyway.
When you check the official Blundstone website, you can see that the 500s are priced at $209.95 and the 550s at $229.95. Needless to say, you might want to wait for a sale or a discount code to get a better deal.
Blundstone 500 vs. 550: Which Blundstone boots are better?
We’d say that depends on what you’re searching for. While we’re aware that the two Blundstone best sellers are super similar, there are a few differences that might sway you one way or the other. Whichever you decide to go with, we’re sure you’re going to be one of the many, many happy customers.
Good luck!
