Tasmanian footwear brand Blundstone has snapped up a globally recognised award.
The brand's 980 Underground Mining Boot has been presented with the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) Award and Best in Category (Product Design – Commercial and Industrial) at the Good Design Awards.
This year's event reported a record breaking 370 applications worldwide.
As one of the winners, the boot's construction aims to overcome issues for mining workers regarding leakage, material failures, lack of ankle support and stability control, excessive heat, and poor level of comfort.
Blundstone CEO Steve Gunn believes the boot will offer big relief to the estimated 2.2 per cent of Australians currently employed by the mining industry.
“The Blundstone 980 Underground Mining Boot has fundamentally changed the way mining boots are made.
“We have designed a boot with a high level of ankle support and stability control whilst ensuring it is extremely comfortable and watertight, boosting overall footwear performance.
“The mining sector in Australia currently employs around 2.2% of the total labour force – around 129,000 people.
“Health and safety is of critical importance to the industry.
“This new generation boot is a pioneering product that will serve the industry well for decades to come.”
The Good Design Awards launched in 1958, setting out to showcase examples of good design across a range of industries and design disciplines.