Last summer going into Australia twice (from Europe and from NZ) nobody asked anything about my walking shoes (which I had on as bulkier than I like in a suitcase) - very different going into NZ from Aus, I was wearing them again and they were checked by two different border control/customs people, and so were my daughter’s.
Not that it matters but my friend wasn’t wearing his boots.
The strangest refusal on entry I’ve heard of was by one of my colleagues. He was moving to Brunei and had ordered a brand new Mercedes M class to be delivered there. It was refused entry because it was fitted with tinted windows and only the Sultan’s family were allowed those. The car sat on the quayside for about six months before Mercedes sent clear glass and fitters to change the glass. That incident cost him over £10,000. He had been warned about the law but chose to ignore it. Strangely he is a reasonably near neighbour as he only lives about 15km away. We worked together almost 1000km farther north.
NZ is home for me and I’ve gone quite a few times via Australia. Unless there’s something like a foot and mouth alert, out of the two it will always be NZ that will examine all shoes and outdoor kit in your luggage and on your feet and make you walk through a sheep dip if you’ve been on a farm / agricultural location in last x days or weeks. Oz maybe as well but at NZ Immi it’s core. Not had it in Oz but maybe they do it sometimes
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All I am doing is retelling a story to back up my claim the Australia has rules that might appear petty. I don’t know why you seem to have turned it into a challenge against your superiority. Tory has confirmed that Australia does take every step necessary to protect their unique ecosystems. I could add a ridiculous story of import requirements into NZ but no doubt you would claim that black is white there as well.
My point is that both those countries are hot on protecting their ecosystems, however from multiple trips over the years including this year, it’s definitely NZ that does it all the time. Reports are that Oz doesn’t do it all the time but I know NZ does. This is the same as Vero’s experience, also recent.
And yes it was worth the clarification. Because I’m in a particilar position to know and I’m sure you’re a good enough sport to know that this is one of the few occasions when a clarification can be made beyond what you yourself have said 
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I’ve never had shoes checked going into Oz. I did once I think it was UK at mad cow time.
Shoe bomber time?
That was more about having to take your shoes off and put them though the X-ray machines wasn’t it?
I vaguely remember having to wade through a trough of disinfectant before boarding a plane while the Mad Cow thing was on. And in the West Country IIRC they had things across the roads to disinfect car wheels, though I don’t know how effective that was.
Interesting times, time when science was scuppered? Don’t properly cook spinal column of animals and then feed herbivores on animal parts? Can’t quite remember