RM Williams Boots - Everything You Wanted to Know

TheWraith · Feb 9, 2010

That's understandable. They were work boots before they were anything else, after all.

ville_e · Feb 9, 2010

My toe slightly touches the end of my 10.5G Comfort Craftsman boots. Should I size up to a 11G ? Would that add more width to the boot and therefore space for my toe in the toe box? Thanks!

I'm hoping that these will form slightly after use and that I won't feel my toe touching.

LTM · Feb 9, 2010

Spot on fxh! Being middle aged I remember that ubiquitous 'uniform' well and you have described it accurately. Perhaps because there was always the 'seconds' shop in Adelaide they crept into wider business use more commonly.
Sounds like part of you knows your siblings were right to give you that ribbing! Those pale moleskins are still popular in SA, I got green and burgundy though.
It never gets a mention on this forum but the 'classic' RM (you don't use the 'williams' in SA 'RMs' suffices) look remains the indigo stubbies, indigo bonds singlet, explorer socks.

ville_e · Feb 9, 2010

Originally Posted by ville_e

My toe slightly touches the end of my 10.5G Comfort Craftsman boots. Should I size up to a 11G ? Would that add more width to the boot and therefore space for my toe in the toe box? Thanks!

I'm hoping that these will form slightly after use and that I won't feel my toe touching.

Please could someone kindly help me out. I am thinking about sizing up to an 11G from a 10.5G. Right now I can slightly feel my toe touching the end of the boot with my 10.5 but I think it's more a width problem than a length problem.

If I size up to an 11G would that also add more width + length? I'm afraid that sizing up may cause heel slippage.

Thanks in advance and thanks Stuart for your reply!

Rusty G. · Feb 9, 2010

Originally Posted by ville_e

Please could someone kindly help me out. I am thinking about sizing up to an 11G from a 10.5G. Right now I can slightly feel my toe touching the end of the boot with my 10.5 but I think it's more a width problem than a length problem.

If I size up to an 11G would that also add more width + length? I'm afraid that sizing up may cause heel slippage.

Thanks in advance and thanks Stuart for your reply!

You might consider sizing up in length (11) and dropping a size in width if the shoe is too wide for you. F.W.I.W. . .I find the RMW boots a little shorter than expected. I wear a 10C in many US shoes, and went for a 9 F (narrow) in my RMW boots. I like my boots, but I might have been able to go 9.5 for a little more toe room.

Trapp · Feb 9, 2010

Originally Posted by fxh

Seeing Prime Minister Rudd in them a with a suit a few years back re-enforced that that wearing them with a suit was dorky.

Amen. They look terrible when paired with a suit, imo. The shape and leather quality make them seem okay--as long as you remain standing and you can't see the tops of the boots. These pics show how loony they look as soon as you sit down and expose the elastic and, worse, the pull tabs with the r.m. label stitched into them. Ug.

ville_e · Feb 9, 2010

Originally Posted by Rusty G.

You might consider sizing up in length (11) and dropping a size in width if the shoe is too wide for you. F.W.I.W. . .I find the RMW boots a little shorter than expected. I wear a 10C in many US shoes, and went for a 9 F (narrow) in my RMW boots. I like my boots, but I might have been able to go 9.5 for a little more toe room.

The width is the problem. I think the toe touching the end is more a width prob. than a length one. Would sizing up to 11G from 10.5 solve the problem in terms of width without becoming too long and causing heel slippage?

makewayhomer · Feb 9, 2010

Originally Posted by Trapp

Amen. They look terrible when paired with a suit, imo. The shape and leather quality make them seem okay--as long as you remain standing and you can't see the tops of the boots. These pics show how loony they look as soon as you sit down and expose the elastic and, worse, the pull tabs with the r.m. label stitched into them. Ug.

I think it's more of a casual suit look, if such a thing exists. I wouldn't wear them to a funeral/job interview, but to a fun wedding where I'm wearing a suit, why not?

PipPip · Feb 9, 2010

Originally Posted by makewayhomer

I think it's more of a casual suit look, if such a thing exists. I wouldn't wear them to a funeral/job interview, but to a fun wedding where I'm wearing a suit, why not?

I wear mine with a fairly casual cut plain navy blue suit on Fridays. These are "dress down" days in my office, which most people interpret as more casual suit, no tie and wear slightly more casual shoes. Craftsman work well for this. Other than that I don't wear them with suits.

TheWraith · Feb 9, 2010

The beauty of the RMW Craftsman, for example, is that they go very well with jeans and suits alike. Perhaps others here may not wear them with such, but they're perfectly fine to do so. Times have changed, after all.

fxh · Feb 10, 2010

Originally Posted by LTM

Perhaps because there was always the 'seconds' shop in Adelaide they crept into wider business use more commonly.
Sounds like part of you knows your siblings were right to give you that ribbing! Those pale moleskins are still popular in SA, I got green and burgundy though.
It never gets a mention on this forum but the 'classic' RM (you don't use the 'williams' in SA 'RMs' suffices) look remains the indigo stubbies, indigo bonds singlet, explorer socks.

I think also with SA and RMs I think of Lexy Downer on his "casual" weekends:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Downer

amce · Feb 10, 2010

Originally Posted by TheWraith

The beauty of the RMW Craftsman, for example, is that they go very well with jeans and suits alike. Perhaps others here may not wear them with such, but they're perfectly fine to do so. Times have changed, after all.
+1 As I've mentioned before I wear my RMs to everything (well almost - pyjamas and bathers excluded). From faded Levis to board-room suits. The classic Craftsman, the Macquarie, the Blaxland. All are suitable. If you want to refine the look get'em in French Veal calf. Check the above Downer link for a picture of him flashing his black RMs for Condoleezza way back when. Cheers

makewayhomer · Feb 10, 2010

yesterday at work my boss was wearing black chelseas. the entire shoe above the ankle bone was about 1 full inch removed from his sock...it was just flapping around way too loose. a good example of why the RM's I had were 10x better than whatever brand he was wearing. mine fit like a glove all the way around

I did find a barely used Allen Edmonds Taunton (chelsea) on ebay which should be arriving today. will be interesting to see how that compares. it's not a wholecut of course.

for the price I paid (about $50 all in) it doesn't have to be super...either way it doesn't really matter since they dont make them anymore and they are hard to find used.

TheWraith · Feb 10, 2010

Originally Posted by amce

+1

As I've mentioned before I wear my RMs to everything (well almost - pyjamas and bathers excluded). From faded Levis to board-room suits. The classic Craftsman, the Macquarie, the Blaxland. All are suitable. If you want to refine the look get'em in French Veal calf.

Check the above Downer link for a picture of him flashing his black RMs for Condoleezza way back when.

Cheers

I've done the same with my HBCs.

makewayhomer · Feb 10, 2010

anyone have any experience with the Windsor boot?

I found an auction on ebay for a pair in 7 G though the sellers stated measurements look close to my CC 7.5 G's.

more important the heel doesn't look exactly like it does in the RM catalog. in the catalog it looks almost like a cuban heel.

here are some pics from the auction. thoughts?

RM Williams Boots - Everything You Wanted to Know

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