RM Williams Boots - Everything You Wanted to Know

[grimslade]

They are not the forum special model. They are 1.) on the 543 (chisel toe) last; and 2.) welted, not nailed. but they are whiskey. And that's a beautiful thing.

 

[amlai]

Originally Posted by amlai

Has anyone here done any comparisons between the RM Williams lasts and the Alden or EG lasts? E.g., I know I am a 9D in the Truebalance last, but a 9E in the Plaza last, and a 9/9.5D in the 202.

I went back up to the RM Williams store and found it this time. If anyone is wondering, to my foot at least, I think that the 9D in the Truebalance last (Alden 405 Indy boot) is an extremely similar fit to the 8H Yearling Craftsman boots. (At least in the toebox.)

I ended up purchasing the boots from the store. In contrast to experiences by others at the RM Williams store in NYC, the gentleman who helped me was extremely attentive, describing to me each of the boots they had on display and let me try on 4 different pairs to find the right size. Of course, buying from the store meant paying a good deal more than what I would pay online, but I felt that the gentleman worked fairly hard to get the sale and it would be dishonest for me to go elsewhere.

 

[kbuzz]

What are they charging for the craftsman in the NYC store. I agree it might be worth the extra cost for the ability to try them on .

 

[amlai]

Originally Posted by kbuzz

What are they charging for the craftsman in the NYC store. I agree it might be worth the extra cost for the ability to try them on .

They are charging $349 plus tax, which brings it to $378.25. So the difference is pretty substantial.

 

[lockey2k]

Anyone been able to talk to steve recently? Been e-mailing him about my order, but not a reply in a week plus.

 

[AlonzoMosely]

I just placed an order and in a couple of messages he always got back to me in less than a day

 

[lockey2k]

I placed an order in early April and was inquiring about its status, but no word. Is this typical?

 

[chas]

I also placed an order with Steve almost two weeks ago . He sent me an email the day that I ordered. I responded with a question and have not heard back since.

 

[lefty]

He's probably just waiting on the factory. It takes awhile especially for a custom boot.

I've never had a problem with either of my orders.

lefty

 

[Englandmj7]

Originally Posted by lockey2k

I placed an order in early April and was inquiring about its status, but no word. Is this typical?

As others have posted (myself included) the average turnaround from ordering to receipt is 1 month (for MTO). I noticed that Steve was alot more receptive to initial emails regarding sizing, etc. than the 2-3 "Are they done yet? Are they done yet?" emails I sent

I am imagining he gets too many of these on a daily basis to bother, and I don't blame him. He isn't going to rip anyone off. When the factory makes them, they'll mail them to him, and within 1-2 days, he'll mail them to you. If it has been over 4 weeks and no word, then I'd try him again.

 

[kbuzz]

As you may recall from my prior posts I have been struggling with either a forum special or comfort craftsman (sleekness v. comfort). Anyway ive decided to take the first plunge with a pair of comfort craftsman before I plunk down more dough on veal custom model. Is sators sizing chart the same for the comfort craftsman as it is for the FSM.

To simply, im a 9d in AE park ave and Aldens. I have a smaller pair of EG on but they dont fit as well. Id prefer a medium tightness.

So folks would I order a 8F? I believe that the comfort craftsman is not available stock in F but will have to special order but not sure. Hence the post.

Thanks in advance and thanks to sator for the whole thread

 

[amlai]

kbuzz: We sound to be about the same size. I'd probably recommend an 8G. I prefer my shoes a little on the roomy size and went with an 8H in the Craftsman. The pair of comfort craftsmen that I tried seemed slightly narrower than the regular one. Though the shoes really do seem to stretch some. Since you sound like you're in the NYC area, you might as well run in and try a pair on, depending on how you feel about trying and buying elsewhere.

 

[kbuzz]

Originally Posted by amlai

kbuzz: We sound to be about the same size. I'd probably recommend an 8G. I prefer my shoes a little on the roomy size and went with an 8H in the Craftsman. The pair of comfort craftsmen that I tried seemed slightly narrower than the regular one. Though the shoes really do seem to stretch some. Since you sound like you're in the NYC area, you might as well run in and try a pair on, depending on how you feel about trying and buying elsewhere.

Thanks for the reply. Did you by any chance try and F width in any other boot? Thanks

 

[amlai]

No, I didn't try any in F width since I thought the G was already a bit snug. I tried 8G and 8.5H in Kangaroo Craftsman, 8H in Comfort Craftsman, and 8H in the regular Craftsman. I went with the 8H since that seemed the best fit for the width in the toe box (and least likely to stretch since there's supposedly some kind of plastic form in there), but I am starting to think that it probably would've been possible to sqeeze into the 8G. The toes felt better to me in the 8H, but my foot is skinny towards the ankles so I've stuck in a heel wedge and that seems to fit great. However, since you probably like it a bit more snug than I do, my guess is an 8G is probably good. (I'm usually a 9D in most shoes.)

Oh I forgot to mention that I'm also wearing thin dress socks with the boots, so depending on your preferences for socks in a boot, that may snug up the boot as well.

 

[kbuzz]

Thanks all for the help in sizing. Ran over to the williams store in nyc today. I tried the comfort craftsman in a 8G which felt great but a wee bit loose in the heel. It worried me. I then tried an 8F in the regular craftsman for comparison. Using a thin cotton sock i have to say the F width felt a little snug but slightly better.

Overall everyone's feet are unique. So as far as this expereince helps anyone here, id say im a standard 9D and i was right between the F and the G. They were actually helpful in the store, so I ordered the comfort, in whiskey in the F width. Allegedly 4-8 weeks. WE shall see. They did not require a deposit so it worked out great.

Nice boots. Almost bought the chesnut also just to have a pair but wife bought some too, so budget constraints.

They were quite pleasant in the store..wonder if they were having a slow day.