How Our Boots are Made

From the moment you're introduced to a pair of RM Williams boots, you can be sure it will be the beginning of a serious friendship, and you'll soon understand why they're something to treasure over a lifetime of service.

We are proud of our boots at RM Williams, so we take the job of making them very seriously, as the reputation of this legendary company is in our hands.

When you consider what it takes to make each pair of RM Williams boots, you'll appreciate their value and why we are so enthusiastic when we talk about them.
Take, for instance, the way we make our boots.
Some machines and volume production techniques are used, but at RM Williams we are most reliant on our people.

We employ teams of skilled craftsmen who take over a week to make each pair of boots using sixty eight hand-held processes, before they are finished, inspected and ready to leave the factory floor.

Right from the start, we pay close attention to the smallest details, such as selecting only the finest quality leathers for each section of our boots.

We demand the best, so we search the country and the world for it.

The one piece leather upper, for example, is the special feature of our classic elastic-sided boots and a guarantee that only the best softened, full-grain leather is taken from each hide.

We know that first impressions are important for a long lasting friendship, so we break your boots in before you wear them, by stretching each upper over geometric lasts especially designed by RM Williams. This forms a shape that is immediately comfortable, and so it will remain, for the rest of its wearing life.

So before we even put needle to leather, our old-fashioned fussiness ensures each boot is well on its way to earning its coveted RM Williams label.

The sewing starts with our unique polyester bound core elastic, sewn into all elastic-sided boot styles for ready entry and snug, comfortable fit.

Each boot is then double stitched with strong, bonded nylon thread to hold the elastic and then "closed" with one seam in the least vulnerable and most comfortable place, at the back of the heel.

We finish this off with specially woven RM Williams signature tugs for easy pull-on. Our high top boots have matching leather tugs, double stitched into the boot and lining to remain there for a lifetime.


From the top of our boots we go to the soul of our boots, the sole. We use several types of hard wearing soles to suit just about any occasion and we recommend our Goodyear welt sewn leather soles for dress boots, as the leather welt construction becomes a feature of the overall look of the boot, as well as providing a most flexible sole to wear.

Our brass "screwed" leather soles are ideal for work and riding boots as they have plenty of "give" whilst maintaining their shape and will not "pull off" during the life of the soles.

Our "Longhorn" rubber composition soles come without tread for non-slip dress and walking boots and treaded for heavy duty work wear in just about any conditions, from the scorching red centre of Australia to the cold terrain of the Snowy Mountains.

We're just as fussy with the inside of our boots as the outside, so we make all linings and insoles from quality leather that moulds to the shape of your feet and lets them "breathe". This way our boots stay comfortable in all weather conditions.

With our classic styling, we make RM Williams boots, not for fashion, although many would disagree, but for a long lasting partnership that feels even more comfortable as time goes by.

Like any good friends, your boots will continue to look after you, if you look after them. We suggest you clean and polish them regularly with RM Williams' specially formula ed boot polish or saddle dressing.

When your boots get wet, allow them to dry at room temperature, never close to a source of heat such as a fire or radiator.

A smart idea for airing your boots between wears is to alternate them with a second pair of boots, because we believe that you can never have too many good friends.

Link to Welted Sole Boot
Link to Screwed Sole Boot
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