Boots

Thinking about picking up a pair of Comfort Craftsmans myself now that the rain has started.

You will need two pairs then if wearing in the wet ...

Have you got a pair in kangaroo, Mark? Read a little bit about how it can crease quite a lot compared to the calf leather.

Yes, chestnut in 'roo and old craftsman in chestnut in yearling and now black in yearling. I wouldn't say the 'roo look more creased, certainly softer at the get go ...

I need a wet weather boot that's appropriate for CBD wear, so less creasing will look a bit neater and be quicker to polish.

Seriously if you are going to be wearing in the wet you will need two pairs. Many years ago now I wrecked my first ever pair of RMs by wearing on a holiday to Europe and Israel. Wore them almost every day (including in Milan in the wet - leather soles in the rain climbing the exterior of the cathedral was, interesting) and when I got back I basically had to toss them out.

They will need a day to breath between wear in normal conditions - maybe longer in the wet. Same goes for most good shoes. I used to think it was bunkum but trust me, it isn't!
 
BTW - cheapest place for RM is Nungar that I've found.
 
I do rotate my shoes normally anyway, and I have a pair of Crockett and Jones suede chukka boots which suffice for wet streets. The RMWs would just be for when it's actively raining, so one pair will do...for now.

Which of the chestnuts are darker? Roo or the yearling, or much the same?
 
I do rotate my shoes normally anyway, and I have a pair of Crockett and Jones suede chukka boots which suffice for wet streets. The RMWs would just be for when it's actively raining, so one pair will do...for now.

Which of the chestnuts are darker? Roo or the yearling, or much the same?

Please forgive me, Crocket & Jones - you know all about shoes!

The chestnuts are much the same I'd say.
 
Thanks for the feedback Mark. I think that Comfort Craftsmans in chestnut roo it is!

And by no means am I a "shoe guy" yet; I just applied my eBay skills to those poor Aussies who splurge on expensive shoes and then find they don't fit. If you set up a good search string, you can find some almost unworn gems out there.

Much better than buying those pointy gondola shoes from Aquila!
 
Curious about RM, yet a cursary look shows no laced shoes in kangaroo.
 
For those of you contemplating purchasing some RM Williams boots - an email today from Nungar Trading -

RM Williams has advised us that their external costs have increased significantly. They have said that these increases are out of their control have made the decision to increase the recommended retail price for footwear by approximately 8%. This means that the RRP of a pair of CRAFTSMAN boots will increase from $440.00 to $475.00.

This increase is already live on the RM Williams website. We will only be increasing our price by $30. This will be occurring on our website this coming Friday, 17 July 2015.

The good news is that if you've been thinking about purchasing a pair of RM Williams boots, you can visit our site by close of business on Friday and be guaranteed our current pricing of $335. Of course, our prices are already lower than RRP. After Friday, prices will increase to reflect RM Williams' new pricing.
 
I know I've recommended Nungar Trading previously as being the best place I've found to buy R M Williams boots (apart from their seconds outlets!) and I also realise that there might be some marketing spin in this too - but an email I received today:


We wanted to let you know that there is currently an un-precedented demand for RM Williams boots both from within Australia and globally, particularly since the purchase of RM Williams by Louis Vuitton, the international fashion boutique company.



Although we currently hold considerable stock of popular styles, including the Dynamic Flex Craftsman and the Comfort Craftsman, boots that come under the RM Williams core and extension ranges have been taking up to 4-6 weeks and more to come through from the factory. The supply of Made to Order footwear has been taking considerably longer. Unfortunately, this situation is entirely beyond our control.



Due to these supply constraints, we are urging our customers who might wish to purchase another pair of boots that they should place their pre-Christmas orders NOW.



Further, for those customers who order before 30 August 2016, Nungar Trading Co will include with your order a complimentary 70ml RM Williams Stockman's Boot Polish to match the colour of your boot purchase. This retails for $13.95.



Lastly, RM Williams have advised that there will soon be a further pricing review, so ORDER NOW TO SAVE AND ENSURE TIMELY DELIVERY FOR CHRISTMAS.



Best Wishes,



THE NUNGAR TEAM
 
Oh dear!

This is what happens when an Aussie icon is purchased by an overseas brand -



The beginning of the end can be marked as today - you heard it her first.

RIP RM Williams boots
 
Oh dear!

This is what happens when an Aussie icon is purchased by an overseas brand -



The beginning of the end can be marked as today - you heard it her first.

RIP RM Williams boots

I've had the same pairs of black and chestnut RM's for approaching 20 years. They previously had an excellent factory renovation service where you could send them to the Prospect Factory in SA and they'd come back pretty much brand new for about 20% of the original cost - a great deal in my books which I utilised a couple of times.
Anyway, I dropped off my black boots at one of their outlets for reconditioning in recent years - they were still in decent nick, but I wear them sometimes with a suit, and the stitching and outers were getting a bit ragged. They were returned to me with a terse note saying that they were "structurally beyond repair", and that I had ruined them by incorrect insertion/removal. What a load of bollocks! I still wear them to this day, and they remain very comfortable.
@Mark1966 - your comment is spot on. And it is so sad for an Iconic company that has always based its reputation on uncompromising quality and service.
 
I've had the same pairs of black and chestnut RM's for approaching 20 years. They previously had an excellent factory renovation service where you could send them to the Prospect Factory in SA and they'd come back pretty much brand new for about 20% of the original cost - a great deal in my books which I utilised a couple of times.
Anyway, I dropped off my black boots at one of their outlets for reconditioning in recent years - they were still in decent nick, but I wear them sometimes with a suit, and the stitching and outers were getting a bit ragged. They were returned to me with a terse note saying that they were "structurally beyond repair", and that I had ruined them by incorrect insertion/removal. What a load of bollocks! I still wear them to this day, and they remain very comfortable.
@Mark1966 - your comment is spot on. And it is so sad for an Iconic company that has always based its reputation on uncompromising quality and service.

WHAT!

That is appalling :(

Hoping to get mine refurbed when needed - disappointed to read this ...



Hey - Happy shaving :)
 
That's disappointing, surely they are still offering sole and heel service though. That's a prime reason so many buy shoes of this type, so they can be reshod and keep going.

Was that the store response or the factory?

I'm wanting to get Proper shoes in the future, as I'm even wasting my money with brands like Ecco. Exceptionally comfy, but they simply aren't going to last. I've looked into getting English shoes, but there is no way I'm dropping $3-400 on quality shoes if I have to buy online I can't try them first. Buying shoes blind online is just to big a punt for accurate sizing.

@Drubbing - you are spot on. If you shell out the readies for a quality pair of shoes/boots, you want to be able to keep them re-shod. RM's motto used to be - Boots that last a lifetime. I was so shocked by the response that I asked for a report. This materialised as a scribbled factory note saying that I had crushed the heel counters of the boots by pulling them on by the heel loops. Am I missing something? What else are the heel loops for? Apparently, you should be using a shoe horn. Get off the grass! They are RM Boots; not bloody dress shoes.
I then wrote to the Marketing Manager to express my disappointment at this situation, having owned three pairs of boots over the years, and recommending them to many local and international friends over the years. I received a sanitised standard response fully of politically correct bollocks but no customer support.
The fact that the boots in question have been worn regularly by me and remain very comfortable several years down the track speaks to the very strange factory analysis.
I'm hopeful that maybe an overly aggressive commercial culture had temporarily taken root in their management, as I still am of the opinion that they make an excellent boot. However, this event left a very sour taste in my mouth.
 
Don't rule out 'second hand' -





Both are eBay purchases - so less at risk $$ wise in terms of sizing and both damm fine shoes IMHO...

We have a couple of good old fashioned cobblers here in CBR

@Drubbing - as @Mark1966 notes above, local cobblers of high quality are thin on the ground but do still exist. I have 1 and possibly 2 local cobblers in Perth that I can recommend for you.
 
Steady on. First a watchmaker now a cobbler. Next you'll be telling me you know a good Blacksmith and Tinker.

Your RM story is disappointing. especially the boot loops - that's what the fuckin things are for, always has been. Bullshit cop out of the worst kind. RM do have an outlet store though, so as long as they're still doing repairs, this might be worth checking out. I really want shoes as the boots have never been my thing. I have a pair of yearling with pointed toe, 20 years old, but half a size too small and so not worn very much. The leather still looks superb.
 
Steady on. First a watchmaker now a cobbler. Next you'll be telling me you know a good Blacksmith and Tinker.

Your RM story is disappointing. especially the boot loops - that's what the fuckin things are for, always has been. Bullshit cop out of the worst kind. RM do have an outlet store though, so as long as they're still doing repairs, this might be worth checking out. I really want shoes as the boots have never been my thing. I have a pair of yearling with pointed toe, 20 years old, but half a size too small and so not worn very much. The leather still looks superb.

Ha! Well, I can recommend a blacksmith, but he is in Japan. And I don't know what a Tinker does?But you are on the money, Drubs. We have to cop some Gen Next graduate in a marketing/PR role with no concept of building the business; just if they meet their BS performance targets so that they collect their performance bonus, then move on to the next company before their incompetence is illuminated.
As for your boots - nice choice on the yearling pointed toe. If the size is a touch tight, I'd recommend dosing them daily with Neats Foot Oil for a week, in conjunction with stretching on shoe trees overnight. This can usually expand at least half a size; sometimes a full size.
Same principle applies for shoes, as long as the leather has some porosity (as most top brands do). Many manufacturers treat the leather with a synthetic brew heavy with silicone, which provides water resistance, but does not allow the leather to breath, nor absorb any conditioning oil.
And as you and @Mark1966 have mentioned previously, a welted sole is highly desirable to allow easy and effective re-soling by a cobbler.
 
Ta, might give that a try. Where do you find Neats? These 20yo boots still look ridiculously good, but just too small. If they were the chisel toe, they'd be spot on.
 
One of the benefits of living in Australia is that we can get excellent quality Neats Foot Oil at a fraction of the cost of other countries. You can get a 500ml bottle from Bunnings for about $12. Photo attached. Work it well into the leather with a rag/cloth, and leave it several hours to soak in. It softened and conditions the leather, as opposed to shining it. You can do this with a good polish as a final stage if you wish.

4bc694670233148469a43db126764e40.jpg
 
They definitely would - and for me, a key reason behind having picked up two pairs myself. They're both on the composite rubber soles (at your recommendation, from memory) and although they've worn down a lot, they're going to last me a good while yet. Some punters on the fashion-oriented forums want to keep their shoes absolutely pristine, but for me, a bit of wear and patina is what I want. Gives a bit of character, and when they need a re-sole, you know that RMW are going to send them back as close to how you left them as is possible.



I think that this is the key if you're going to spend money on shoes. I'm not motivated by fashion - I aimed to get out of having to buy new shoes every 12-18 months, and spending $100-200 each time. Shoe trees makes a big difference to the creasing of the leather, and makes the time spent polishing and maintaining worthwhile. Same deal with the Topy - it's just good sense to protect the shoe. I wish I'd done it with the Loakes that I mentioned, to be honest. It would have saved me $150ish.

You've got a nice stable of shoes there - and your second hand approach worked well for me too. Picked up two pairs of Allen Edmonds for under $100 each from eBay, and among other things, having a size reference to an Allen Edmonds 5 last has been a particularly valuable size reference when looking online (because they are so popular in the US). It's amazing what a good clean and polish can do for some shoes, Saphir Reno Mat is particularly good at stripping old polish and ingrained dirt from shoes.



Definitely agree mate. My old man is a frequent visitor to Italy, and he's had great luck buying nice shoes for $100-150 with a blake stitch (not able to re-sole these, but they are stitched so very stable), and getting a local old school Turkish bloke to whack a Topy on top for $20 bucks. He's paying half the price of my fancy ass English shoes, and getting 90% of the result. A bit of care and they look every bit as good as the overseas stuff, and loads better than the crap you see from Aquila for twice the price.

It's interesting to compare older RMW boots with newer ones. My pair in yearling chestnut are a lot more supple and thinner than my boss, who has a nearly identical pair in much tougher, more rigid leather from about 5-6 years ago. His have done a lot of miles, but while mine are more comfortable, they lack the "tough as nails" feeling of his pair which are very thick and rigid. Will be curious to see if they have the same longevity - I wouldn't be surprised if newer models have sacrificed some looks for durability. As you say though, they look great and they work in a casual-ish corporate environment as well as they work for the pub on weekends. You could do worse than gift your kids a pair for their 18th birthdays - they'll probably thank for in a decade.

Really interested to hear how someone gets on with their next factory re-conditioning. Hopefully my bad experience was an isolated incident. I've still two pairs of RM's, and would rather go factory if they've lifted their game!
 
Really interested to hear how someone gets on with their next factory re-conditioning. Hopefully my bad experience was an isolated incident. I've still two pairs of RM's, and would rather go factory if they've lifted their game!

You'd hope they continue as they have done. While there are many who happily just buy another pair because they love them, I'm sure there are plenty that keep retreading old favourites. RMW used to get virtually all their marketing mileage out of that, and it would be as dumb as fuckery to throw all that away.
 
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