RM Williams is an Australian brand and with a combination that everything they produce is of the highest quality, manufactured by adopting unique processes, they are an authentic brand that is dedicated to upholding their heritage and values their roots.
How much do you know about Australia’s most iconic bootmakers?
RM Williams History - Mr Reginald Murray Williams (RM Williams), taught by Dollar Mick a master leatherworker sold his first pair of boots at the young age of 24 years old. With a ready market of men destined for life in the saddle RM Williams set up his first factory in 1932 in South Australia.
Over the following decades RM Williams expanded his business, offering saddlery, equipment, moleskin trousers, jeans and shirts, all perfectly crafted for life in the Aussie outback or the Suffolk landscape!
R.M.Williams has evolved and shifted over its 90-year history. The company has garnered new wearers — from farmers and bankers, writers and artists, all the way to prime ministers and seasoned celebrities — taken international leaps and bounds and expanded into apparel and lifestyle items, all while retaining its excellence in both form and function.
From day dot in small-town South Australia through to today, pairs of RMs have been cherished, aspired to and worn over a lifetime.
Every element of an RM boot is precise. The hand-cutting of a single piece of leather to start the whole process off; the trademark woven tugs signalling style and function; and the signature red-gum stained soles individually painted to reflect the vivid earth from Down Under. It’s an art form, and the whole range is a cut above the rest.
Stepping into the R.M.Williams workshop in South Australia — where, iconically, every pair is made — you’ll be greeted by the rich, warm smell of fresh leather, staggering pieces of machinery and a hoard of expert craftspeople. It takes a well-oiled team to produce the lauded footwear, with each step of the process as vital as the last.
As the foundational building block, the slice of leather is chosen carefully, a fine balance between durability and softness the end goal — plus a splash of natural character for charm. For a boot made to flex under bodyweight and strong muscular movements controlling a horse, or do the legwork over the many steps taken in a week, comfort needs to join endurance.
Once chosen, the hide is cut then blocked, where high heat is used to shape the beginnings of a boot before the elastic sides are stitched in. With thick, purpose-made elastic guarding the wearers’ ankles, the need for laces is removed and grass and seeds are easily kept out (a trait less than necessary for the urban cowboys). Passing from station to station, hand to hand, the footwear takes shape under watchful eyes.
In the business of longevity, R.M.Williams finishes its process with a Goodyear welt construction. A singular ribbon of leather snakes its way around the outskirts of the sole, which is sewn to both the insole and upper. This tricky little manoeuvre separates your run-of-the-mill pair from those designed to go the distance, with the sole forever replaceable without altering the integrity of the boot.
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A pair of RM Williams boots get better and better with wear. Wear them every day, they will mould to your feet and literally become your most comfortable boots. The unique way they are crafted to the highest standard makes them worth every penny.