If Men Only Buy 1 Item This Season, Make It This
Broadly speaking, stylish men tend to buy fewer pieces each season, but wear them for years. The focus is on quality over quantity, with pieces that are expertly crafted to last. When it comes to choosing which investment item to consider next, there’s a certain staple that’s been loved by Australians for decades. Now it’s finally available in London: R.M.Williams boots.
In Partnership With R.M.Williams
The beloved brand
Few brands are as well known and loved as R.M.Williams – so much so that the brand’s iconic boots have become a part of its home nation’s vernacular. When someone talks about their ‘RMs’, you know exactly what they’re referring to. Spotted as regularly on cattle ranches in the outback as in urban cafés, these boots are equal parts iconic and versatile. If you’re wondering what it is that makes these shoes so loved, they’re the pinnacle of Australian craftsmanship.
I’m from Australia and, back home, the men who appreciate good quality all have a pair of these boots – referred to affectionately as their ‘RMs’.
Natasha, Digital Editor
A boot with a story
Back in 1932, founder Reginald Murray ‘RM’ Williams set out to solve a practical problem. The stockmen he met in the outback needed boots that could withstand long days in the saddle without rubbing, splitting or giving way.
His answer was a boot made from a single piece of leather, with one reinforced seam at the heel, away from the pressure points of a stirrup. More than 90 years later, that same principle still informs the brand’s approach: make it properly, use the finest materials and build it to last.
More than 90 years later, that same principle still informs the brand’s approach.
The style to know
The best-known style is the Craftsman Boot, first introduced in 1966. With its distinctive chisel toe, refined profile and low heel, it has the polish of a dress shoe with the practicality of a proper boot.
The best part? These boots get better with every wear. The leather softens, the shape becomes familiar, and the boots start to tell your very own story.
This is the pair to wear with jeans when you want to look pulled together without looking overdressed, but it is equally at home with tailored trousers, a suit or a more formal evening look.
Made (and tested) to last
Each boot passes through more than 80 handcrafted processes at the brand’s Adelaide workshop, moving from station to station as skilled craftspeople cut, shape, stitch and finish the leather. Premium hides are selected in the clicking room before being shaped on a blocking machine to form the boot’s signature silhouette. The boots are then made using Goodyear welted construction, an intricate method that adds protection and means they can be resoled rather than replaced when the time comes.
The craftsmanship is supported by a rigorous testing process, where individual components are put through repeated checks before the finished boots undergo their own set of tests for comfort, quality and endurance.
The attention to detail is why the brand can point to customers who have worn the same pair for decades.
The lifelong promise
At R.M.Williams, the journey doesn’t end at purchase. The brand’s repair service is open year-round and available for boots of every tenure, helping to keep well-loved pairs in circulation for decades to come. From a simple tug replacement to a full re-last, each boot is assessed individually and restored with care.
