Which R.M.Williams Boot Is Right for You?

It's easily the most common question we get asked at the counter: "which R.M.Williams boot should I actually buy?" Nine times out of ten the customer already knows they want a pair. What they can't work out is why one boot is $599, another is $849, and why two boots that look almost identical on the shelf feel completely different once they're on. We've been fitting R.M.Williams boots across our stores for decades, so here's how we talk it through in person.

What is the difference between the Craftsman, Comfort Craftsman and Dynamic Flex Craftsman?

They share the same upper. All three are handcrafted in Adelaide from a single piece of leather with a chisel square toe, a flat heel and elastic sides. The difference sits entirely under your foot, in the sole, the shank and the insole. Quick breakdown:

• Craftsman: a traditional stitched leather sole with Goodyear welt construction and a leather innersole, historically over a steel shank. The most classic of these three, and the one that develops that slim, moulded profile as it wears in. Best on dry footpaths and under a suit.
• Comfort Craftsman: a rubber comfort sole on a Goodyear welt, plus a comfort insole and padded heel lining. This is the boot we fit most often, because it handles a full day on your feet without much break-in.
• Dynamic Flex Craftsman: a combined leather and rubber sole with a supportive, lightweight footbed that lifts straight out, so you can drop your own orthotics in. The upper sits roughly two to three millimetres taller to make room for it, which is why some wider feet find it fits a touch more generously.

Boot	Sole	Best for
Craftsman	Traditional stitched leather	Dress wear, weddings, the traditionalist
Comfort Craftsman	Rubber comfort sole, Goodyear welt	Everyday wear, long days, first-time buyers
Dynamic Flex Craftsman	Leather and rubber, flexible	Walking, travel, orthotic wearers

Worth knowing that the Craftsman is not the most traditional boot R.M.Williams makes overall. The brand still produces screwed-sole dress and riding boots, which are older constructions again. Within this trio, though, the leather-sole Craftsman is the purist's pick. If you're buying your first pair and you're not sure, the Comfort Craftsman in chestnut yearling is the safest starting point, and it works with jeans, chinos and a suit without looking out of place in any of them.

Which R.M.Williams boot suits how you'll actually wear it?

The Craftsman family covers most people, but it isn't the answer for everyone. If you've got a wider foot, want a lace-up, or need something that copes with mud and weather, there's a better style in the range. Key facts:

• Wider feet or a high arch: the Comfort Tambo is the only R.M.Williams style made in an X width fitting, with a wider chisel square toe. It's typically a special order with a four to six week lead time, so plan ahead.
• A relaxed lace-up: the Kingscliff in dark brown suede is the easiest boot here to wear with chinos on a weekend, and at $599 it's the most affordable way into the range.
• A smarter lace-up: the Urban Turnout is a Derby laced boot with a round medium toe, waxy pull up leather, a full storm welt and Goodyear welt construction. It's one iteration of the wider Turnout family, which also runs in other leathers and in leather-sole versions.
• Weather and hard wear: the Comfort Goodwood is cut from crazy horse leather with a full storm welt and a rubber treaded sole, built for all-day wear rather than the office.
• The dressiest boot in the range: the Chinchilla, hand burnished using an Italian inspired technique, with a leather sole and a natural stained edge.

Worth saying plainly: stock on individual colourways and width fittings moves quickly, so it's always worth checking the full men's boots range before you settle on a style.

Which R.M.Williams leather should you choose?

Leather is the single biggest driver of both price and character, and it's the part people underthink. A yearling boot and a burnished boot in the same style can sit $150 apart. Key facts:

• Yearling: smooth, even and the most formal looking. The default choice, and the one that polishes up cleanly.
• Pull up: waxy, with a lighter tone showing through where the leather bends. It ages visibly, which is either the whole point or not for you.
• Suede: the most casual finish, best kept away from wet weather and treated with a protector.
• Crazy horse and oily fern: slightly distressed from the outset, so scuffs blend in rather than stand out.
• Burnished: hand finished with darker tones through the toe and heel. The richest looking option, and the reason the Chinchilla sits at the top of the range.

Whichever you choose, the leather decides how you look after it. Condition regularly, let wet boots dry naturally away from direct heat, and match the polish to the finish. That last point matters most on natural-dyed leathers, where a coloured polish can damage the finish rather than feed it. Our boot care by leather type guide covers what to use on each one, and the leather care range has the products themselves.

How should R.M.Williams boots fit, and what do G and H mean?

The letter after your size is the width fitting, not the length. G is the standard men's width fitting and suits most feet, H is the wider width fitting, and X is wider again but only available in the Tambo. Key facts:

• The boot should feel snug across the ball of the foot from the first wear, with your heel held in place rather than lifting.
• Leather stretches across the width as it beds in, but it will not gain length, so never buy up hoping it'll shrink back.
• Most people take a smaller number in an R.M.Williams boot than they do in a sneaker, which catches a lot of first-time buyers out.
• If you're between width fittings, the insole matters. A comfort or Dynamic Flex footbed takes up more room than a plain leather one, and the Dynamic Flex upper is cut slightly taller to allow for it.

Sizing is the one part of this we'd rather do with you than for you. Start with our R.M.Williams boot sizing guide or the men's boot size guide, then come into one of our stores if you can. Ten minutes with a fitter saves a return.

Are R.M.Williams boots worth the money?

For most people, yes, and the reason is repairability rather than the badge. Welted construction means the sole can be replaced without touching the upper, so a boot you look after is a boot you keep resoling instead of replacing. Key facts:

• Men's boots in our range currently run from around $599 for the Kingscliff to $849 for the Chinchilla, with the Craftsman family typically between $699 and $749 depending on leather and finish.
• Each boot is handcrafted in Adelaide from a single piece of leather, which is why the upper holds its shape over years rather than months.
• Regular conditioning does more for longevity than anything else. Our everyday boot care guide takes about five minutes to read.
• Rotating between two pairs, or even swapping in fresh insoles, meaningfully extends the life of both.

Why does this matter so much? Because the cost per wear on a boot you own for a decade is nothing like the sticker price suggests, and that's the calculation we'd encourage you to make rather than comparing $699 against a pair of shoes you'll replace next winter.

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Shop the R.M.Williams range

Every boot pictured above links straight through to its product page. If you'd rather browse the lot, start here:

• R.M.Williams men's boots, the full range of Craftsman, Tambo, Turnout, Goodwood, Kingscliff and Chinchilla styles.
• All R.M.Williams boots, if you're shopping across men's and women's.
• R.M.Williams men's shoes, for the dress and casual styles that sit alongside the boots.
• R.M.Williams leather care, the polishes, conditioners and protectors matched to each finish.
• The whole R.M.Williams collection, including belts, wallets, shirts and knitwear.

Shop R.M.Williams boots Find your fit

Not sure which boot is right for you? Drop into one of our stores for hands-on, in-store expertise, or give us a call, and we'll sort it out with you.