Oliver Footwear founder James Oliver arrived in the goldfields of Ballarat, a provincial city in Victoria looking for the elusive gold nuggets. Ballarat in the mid-1800s was considered one of the richest alluvial and underground mining fields in the world.

A bootmaker by trade, he returned to boot-making when all his efforts to find gold nuggets failed. In 1887, he established the business of Oliver & Stevens, which produced tough and durable boots for miners and farmers. The same entrepreneurial streak continues even today with Oliver Footwear building on its commitment to footwear manufacturing in Ballarat, Australia.

Oliver Footwear’s modern manufacturing plant is supported by a dedicated team of employees and backed by product research and development to address the needs and demands of tough workplace safety environments. Their ongoing investment in manufacturing technology, business systems and people ensures that the company continues to adopt best practice in all parts of the business.

Oliver is now part of Honeywell Industrial Safety, a specialist provider of the world’s most comprehensive lines of personal protective solutions.