RM Williams Boots - Everything You Wanted to Know

[rbny]

Most airports I've gone through here in CONUS and Europe have required the passengers to remove their shoes-so I could not tell you whether it does or doesn't. Also the sensitivity and settings of metal detectors vary from place to place.

 

[kbuzz]

Originally Posted by Trompe le Monde

and thought perhaps the b529 are too sleek and slender. And I wanted a smaller footprint thus the screwed sole. :

I would agree with this comment. My comfort craftsman are a bit too clunky, and the special a bit too sleek and slender. going to have to find something in between. Maybe a standard craftsman with screwed sole?

 

[DECEMBER]

Any consensus/testimonials on a good boot tree (& reasonably priced) for B543 Craftsman? I actually like the line down the middle of the shoe and want to keep it in that shape for as long as possible.

Also, Dingo mentioned petroleum-free shoe polish. Besides Waproo brand, are there other brands more easily obtainable in the US?

 

[Saenek]

Just picked these up from the post office.

MTO Craftsmen, brown suede, natural finish on sole & heels.

 

[DECEMBER]

Originally Posted by Sator

Didn't Skalogre also post pics of chestnut roo leather jodhpurs?

This was posted way back... Are these welt construction? I was wondering why it has such un-even lip jut (outer edge), or is that just the camera angle? I ordered a brass-screwed stockman and hope they don't turn out like that..

 

[Dingo]

For those people who have posted kind comments on my post, I thought I should post some photos of a few of my pairs of RM Williams boots. They are also a good indication of the effects of wear on the boots with age. These are a pair of black veal calf boots with custom emu leg on the back of the boots.

[/IMG] They are five years old, and show little signs of wear, all things considered. The next pair are dark tan veal calf. These are ten years old and are the "Olympic Boot" produced to commemorate the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

[/IMG] You will note that the elastic has become quite loose. I probably should have the elastic replaced next time I have them in for resoling. The boots have creased over the years, but are very comfortable still, and have a decent shine to them. Next, this is a pair of tan nubuck boots I bought ten years ago.

[/IMG] I've worn then as smart casuals for many years, and they show the inevitable signs of wear around the toe area that you associate with nubuck leather of this age. I keep them clean with a pencil eraser and then spray them with several layers of scotguard. You will also notice that the elastic is very loose, like the dark tan veal calf boots. The leather is so soft it is unbelievable. Finally, this is a pair of aquamarine nubuck boots custom made for me last year with leather that I had custom dyed by a tannery in Italy.The RM Williams people did a great job producing these.

I made a hash of posting this pic on my original post. The first two boots are 9.5H, whereas the two pairs of nubuck boots are 10G.

 

[Trapp]

I love the patina on those Olympic Boots. I don't think I've ever seen a tan williams boot that I liked so much. The leather looks so nice--I wonder if this is in part because the boots are a decade old, when RM Williams used better leathers. My local RM Williams dealer has admitted that RMW switched to a lower grade leathers in recent years, and that you can easily tell the difference if you compare a newer boot to their older boots. Needless to say, I was bummed to hear this.

 

[makewayhomer]

awesome boots.

does anyone know if cobblers can usually replace elastic? or, the odds I could find a cobbler in Boston who could? and if not Boston then somewhere in the US?

 

[amce]

Thanks Dingo for an informative and insightful post. Can't agree with you more about sizing. I was first fitted by RMW back home and am now able to order over the 'net with confidence. I know my size! Five pairs of my RM's have been purchased on-line.

Getting fitted is of course an issue if you don't have reasonable access to a RMW shop or a reputable retailer. Maybe the foot measuring guide in the catalogue could be of some assistance.

Interesting info about Waproo products. Never heard of them before even though they're based in my old home town (Googled them). Can't get hold of it up here but I'm heading down to Oz in June for a quick visit so I'll stock up and give it a go.

Cheers

 

[DECEMBER]

wow, do they still do the custom backing? Wish I'd known about that sooner.

Also, can someone comment on my post above about the un-evenness of the protruding sole edges? Thanks!

 

[Dingo]

Trapp, the difference in colour between this and most of the RM Williams boots you have seen is because the veal calf is a completely different leather from the yearling.

The Olympic boots are dark tan. I alternate between tan and dark tan Waproo polish to get the colour just the way I want them.

Amce, you are absolutely right about getting fitted out in a store and finding your size first. It makes life so easy.

 

[derschas]

Originally Posted by DECEMBER

Oh yea i just remembered that all their boots have a steel shank in the support right? Does this usually set off metal detectors?

This monday I passed two metal detectors in Europe (Stockholm/Arlanda and Amsterdam/Schiphol) with my boots on. None of them was set off.

Don't really know how significant that observation is, as you often have to remove your footwear anyways.

 

[amce]

Originally Posted by DECEMBER

Also, can someone comment on my post above about the un-evenness of the protruding sole edges? Thanks!

I had this on a pair of CC's. On the left hand side of one toe the sole stuck out just like in the pic above. Really p'ed me off when I looked down on it. One day when I was in the big city I happened to walk past a cobbler who also was a retailer of RM's and Crockett and Jones. Went in, showed him the problem (I happened to have those boots on) and he fired up his trusty grinder and fixed it. Of course any good cobbler could do it.

But the thing is this should have been done by RMW. Maybe they slipped through quality control that day.

Dingo, another question about Waproo. I assume you use what they call "Renovating Polish" and not the "Shoe Cream"?

Cheers

 

[amce]

Originally Posted by derschas

This monday I passed two metal detectors in Europe (Stockholm/Arlanda and Amsterdam/Schiphol) with my boots on. None of them was set off.

Don't really know how significant that observation is, as you often have to remove your footwear anyways.

I got stopped at Stockholm/Arlanda last week! Had my Blaxlands on. They must be bad, bad boys!


Cheers

 

[DECEMBER]

Looking through the catalogue atm... I'm really curious about the Queenslander Toe (B536)
and Original Toe (B503, B507, B508). Can't find any shoes or images of shoes with this last.

For my next RMW I want something less slanted but not too round either. The B543 craftsman toe kind of looks like this: right shoe --> |\\ ... almost like a right triangle-- though I'm used to it now and seems less and less so the more I wear it... weird.