R.M.Williams boots | aaarticle.com

R.M.Williams boots are the elastic-sided leather riding boots of the Australian bush, each made from a single piece of leather for the vamp and quarters. Born in the outback between the wars, they have crossed from stockyard to city as a national classic.

Overview

An R.M.Williams boot is a pull-on Chelsea boot with elastic gussets at the sides, a Cuban heel, and an upper cut in one piece so there is no seam at the back. Made of strong leather over a leather sole, it suits the stirrup and the long day on foot alike.

How it is worn

It is pulled on by loops at the top with no laces, worn under moleskins or a suit, and kept going for decades by resoling and care rather than replacement. Plain and well-made, it dresses up for town and down for the yards without changing its shape.

History

Reginald Murray Williams began making gear for bushmen in the South Australian outback in the 1930s, and his one-piece boot became the standard of the stockman. It has since become an Australian icon worn far beyond the bush, from the farm to parliament.