Tradition & History
Oliver Boots, Australia’s leading Safety Footwear Manufacturer owes its origins to gold mining in the Victorian provincial city of Ballarat.
Our founder James Oliver, a boot-maker by trade, came to the goldfields of Ballarat, then amongst the richest alluvial and underground mining fields in the world, in the mid 1800’s. His quest for the elusive nuggets was unsuccessful, so he returned to the trade of boot-making which he had learned in the U.K. Established as the business of Oliver & Stevens, the new venture commenced producing tough and durable boots for miners and farmers in 1887.
The same entrepreneurial streak which marked the establishment of the business in 1887 continues today with Oliver Boots building on its commitment to manufacture quality footwear. Product research and development to address the needs and demands of tough workplace safety environments will always be a central part of our company philosophy.
Our History
1887
Oliver Boots’ first store opens in Ballarat, Victoria Australia
1979
Oliver moves into brand new state of the art facility in Prest St, Ballarat to give space to ever growing demand
1985
Oliver introduces the Desma DDPU injection technology to the site for polyurethane soling to meet demand for new lightweight soling technologies
1995
New warehouse expansion at Prest St to keep up with ongoing orders to expanding distribution network
1999
Oliver diversify their product offering by introducing Dual Density Rubber injection machinery suitable to produce Fire Fighting Boots and Defence footwear
2010
Oliver join forces and expands into wider APAC region with Asian industry frontrunner Kings Safety Footwear
2011
Oliver and Kings are acquired by International safety products leader Honeywell, giving wider reach into the US market and Europe
2017
Oliver Boots can now be found worldwide through a network of premium distribution channels specialising in PPE and safety footwear
2025
Oliver has been acquired by PIP Global Safety, a company specialising in personal protective equipment (PPE) for over 40 years, making it one of the industry's most comprehensive head-to-toe PPE portfolios.