Blundstone, the Australian boot brand founded in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1870, is opening a new storefront at 524 NW 23rd Ave in Portland’s Northwest District, with an opening targeted for this fall. The location takes over a former Verizon space and follows the company’s announcement roughly a year ago that it planned to expand into Portland.
Chelsea boots built this brand’s reputation, an ankle-length, elastic-sided style modeled on traditional Australian work boots that the company debuted in the 1960s and has since become a wardrobe staple recognized well beyond its original workwear roots. Currently, the company operates just five dedicated U.S. storefronts, in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Boston, Seattle and a Los Angeles flagship, making this Portland location only its sixth in the country.
According to the Oregonian, the new store joins a wave of international brands that have recently landed on NW 23rd Avenue, a stretch that’s become a magnet for furniture retailers, trendy clothing and bag brands, and cult-favorite fast food chains looking to plant a flag in one of Portland’s busiest shopping districts. The outlet also reported that Blundstone did not respond to a request for a specific opening date, though an employee who answered the phone confirmed the fall timeline.
Beyond its own storefronts, the brand’s boots are already sold at hundreds of other retailers across the country, giving Portland shoppers a chance to browse the full lineup in person for the first time locally.
