This was posted 7 months 23 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

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R.M. Williams Comfort Craftsman Mid Brown $450 Delivered @ David Jones

960

A few sizes left. All other colours are 20% off.

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David Jones

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  • Cheers been keeping an eye out for a better priced pair of these. Think I'm a size 8 but out of stock. Gave the 7 and 9 a go

    • +18

      Just go to a normal store and get fitted. They have width sizes too. Then buy via ozbargain after you note it down. I have a notepad file on my phone for different shoe brand sizes.

  • +2

    Prefer chestnut but this is how much they should be, good find.

    Just wish I bought a comfort pair the first time, leather soles are unforgiving and took forever to break in, small toes cop it in the G but the leather seems very hard compared to others I've seen.

    won't be buying more. They were an outlet pair so reasonably priced at the time but no good for your feet and narrow.

    • So get H, which are much wider.

      • Nah, vegan haha.
        But got those ones over 6y ago.
        I mean they are comfortable enough on the carpet and not too much walking. Rubber sole be ok but should really get rid of them for $200 or something.

        • Yeah I went the rubber sole, they are bearable in G with 2E feet.

        • +7

          I mean they are comfortable enough on the carpet and not too much walking

          Perfect because that's all RM are used for now, walking on carpeted offices by fintech bros :D

        • Get them resoled if they're the right size, but just leather soles. I resoled my leather soled ones and they're great

          • @dangerdanger: How about the rubber non comfort soles?
            Wouldn't mind a little extra stretch but can't see it happening.

  • Does the wide width ever go on sale?

    • +2

      Rarely

      • Tragic. I went in store to get fitted and bought the normal width but found that it was just too narrow and pinched my pinkie toe. Had to resell the boot.

        • +1

          Yep, the fit is challenging. My 10.5G have never fitted properly but I was convinced you need to wear them in - doing so does you out of a return.

          I've been fitted again in store lately and still couldn't dial it in properly. Usually a 12E trainer.

          • @Supercool: If you were fitted in store and it's the wrong size go back and you'd be surprised what they would be willing to do for you

    • +3

      H sizes are 20% off.

      • Limited colours and sizes unfortunately

  • -4

    Required wear for corporate CBD work drones that have nothing to do with agriculture.

    • +10

      I'd laugh if I saw someone wearing a pair of these working on a farm. Much more likely a pair of Redbacks or alike.

      • +1

        Can confirm. I'm also a CBD office drone and have been wearing the same pair of Redbacks for ~6 years now.

      • Mustn't go out on farm much.

        Of course if you are going to dig a trench or walk through some effluent or it just rained 10mm you aren't going to wear these outside.

      • +1

        Goloshas.

        How many male strippers in fireman outfits are actually fireman.

        • All of them, you need to believe.

    • +1

      I am a CBD work drone that has a lot to do with agriculture.
      Also, the landed gentry wouldn’t wear anything else when going courting.
      And leather sole versions are the best for riding.

    • +2

      They have their place, but I think most farmers use workboots on actual work days. Aggy machinery can get pretty intense I wouldn't want to work with any of it without steel caps.

      • +1

        OT - however out at Cluny Station (Bedourie aka middle of nowhere), the OHS manual recommends against steel capped boots. Something to do with long periods on farm bikes (no 4 wheelers there as they tend to kill humans) when mustering.
        https://www.arrabury.com.au/the-channel-country-properties

    • +1

      Doesn't a pair of these come with your starter kit at most fintech companies? lol

    • +3

      This style of boot is a Chelsea boot, which should give you a good hint that there’s more to it than the parochial association with RMs and agriculture.

      • +1

        Goes well with the Chelsea tractor

    • +3

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_boot

      That’s funny the Chelsea boot had nothing to do with agriculture.

      It was originally worn by people closer to ‘corporate CBD drones’ than farmers

    • +1

      You'd look like a real knobstain wearing these to work on a farm. Probably the footwear that would be less practical would be a pair of thongs.

  • Anyone knows If I can get a pair of 8.5H and get it exchanged for a 9H in store ?

    • +2

      Yes, one size up or down. No change in width.

      • The person who helped me even offered me a refund even though I didn't buy it from them

  • +4

    Just fyi for anyone not sure about the width or size.
    If you are buying from DJa, RM will allow you to swap it at their flagship stores. I was able to swap mine for a different colour and size a few months ago.

    • Just rang them and they have advised that they stopped accepting David Jones as part of the exchange policy. Now you gotta do it back to where you have purchased it

      • Ingot it swapped a few weeks ago. I just walked dinto their store at Emporium and they didn't even ask for a receipt.

        • Guess that's not tonight.
          Just take back DJ Easy

  • +1

    RRP up to $650 now! Wow.
    Also no half sizes.

    • +2

      Don't understand the fascinating with these shoes. Brand thing I assume

      • +8

        Brands that produced Australian made quality clothing/shoes are far and few between. RM has always been known for quality products that last more than the 6-12 months I get out of any pair of sneakers.

        • +1

          These could be crafted by Michael Jordan using materials sourced from a sacred cow and I still wouldn't pay that much for boots. Cue down votes 😂

          • +1

            @Foodstamps: 100%.

            At the same time though you’d be surprised to know how bad some of the 100-200 pairs can be. How hard is it to mass produce a decent pair of work boots that doesnt cost a fortune these days 🤷‍♂️

        • I guess it depends on whether you have to have chelsea boots or not… Redback boots are also made in Australia, and I could almost get four pairs of those for this discount price on RMs.

          • @Morkai: Owning both they are nothing alike beyond an elastic side. You can see the price diff.
            A closer comparison would be dress baxters which are around $350 but now made in China instead of Goulburn I understand.

            • @entropysbane:

              dress baxters which are around $350

              Price should reflect that IMO, otherwise it's just gouging.

      • +6

        It's a money saving thing. I spent $350 on a pair back in 2012 and still wearing them today. Added 3 times of replacing the heel at $75 each. So far in 11 years I've spend $575 for a pair of very comfortable shoes. $52 per year for shoes aren't bad value.

        • -2

          I used a $20 pair of hush puppies on clearance from dfo for 3 years. $6.67/year 😆. Too bad they don’t make those pairs anymore. I only stopped wearing them because spilled some paint on them 🤦‍♂️

          • @kaleidoscope: after the hush puppies, what did you buy and how much ?

            • @tomleonhart: Sketches from costco… ($50-60). Didn’t use boots for a while. I was looking for a decent pair that’s rain proof and slippery proof. I tried some shoes in stores 100-200 range, was very uncomfortable and sharp edges 🤷‍♂️

        • +3

          Same.

          I went through a pair of work shoes a year because mostly the soles wore or failed. One pair of RMs, two heels and five years no problems vs $200 a year for the cheaper ones.

          • +4

            @ZuluOz: I gave up after my $150 Florsheim gave way after 10 months. Bought a pair of black RM and haven’t had to worried about work shoes for a long time now.

        • Same year here, worn nearly every day. Really thinking of buying a new pair but..want8 g a bigger discount and will wear these a bit longer.

        • My shoes stink after 1 year. 10 years is unthinkable

      • +2

        I've had my pair of Comfort Craftsman for just over 10 years, people still ask if they are new. The leather quality is excellent and if you take care of them they will last a very long time. Plus they are really versatile, you can wear them with jeans/suit pants/chinos.

    • RRP up to $650 now

      thats funny!

    • LVMH cranking it up for sale wrecked it.

      $400ish was fair, $650 are over the odds.

      $300 + 2000 QFF was just fantastic.

  • These are pull up leather, read up on this before purchasing. When new, these are the best looking of the CC range

    • What happens after they're worn?

      • They are meant to have the worn look, so creases and marks will appear. Some may like this look

      • the leather starts to patina

  • +1

    As others have mentioned, take care if you have wide feet.
    I got talked into a pair of these a few years ago, the next size up were too long and my normal size felt too narrow.
    The bubbly sales girl said "don't worry they'll stretch". Shock twist, they never did.

    I victim blame myself for falling for it, what's a salesperson going to say, "oh, best not to buy them"

    That said , they are really nice , well made, and (for me) wearable for a couple of hours only, so they've become special occasion boots.

    • +4

      RE: the office drones, tech bro comments. Ive also heard they are required uniform for "Young Liberals".

      All those stereotypes are probably somewhat true, as they are expensive , well made, and have a certain set of (imagined) values that might appeal to those types.
      I guess the alternative insult would be DM's being defacto for baristas and 1st year arts degree communists.

      All good fun, but i gotta refute the misguided belief that actual country people don't wear RM's. Maybe not while working, but for social events they seem pretty close to being a requirement.

    • They definitely do stretch, but if you have wide fit, you buy the wider sizes or styles…

  • -2

    Why are these so expensive? (serious question) What makes them 5x more expensive than say a boot from YD that looks and feels exactly the same? I'm assuming its a corporate thing, mainly juniors at finance/law firms trying to look impressive.

    • +3

      Longevity and quality of materials. Plus they're made in Adelaide. I still wouldn't pay full price for them but at $450 I think they are good value

    • +3

      I've had my pair of Comfort Craftsman for just over 10 years, people still ask if they are new. The leather quality is excellent and if you take care of them they will last a very long time. Plus they are really versatile, you can wear them with jeans/suit pants/chinos.

      • Does the elastic wear out?

        • +1

          It's loosened slightly but hasnt worn out or stretched badly.

        • The elastic can also be replaced by RM and is well worth doing if the rest of the boot is in good condition.

    • My guess is Made in Australia vs made in some Asian country. Happy to be corrected if this is not the case.

      • You can get a Rossi boot also made in Adelaide like this boot, main thing is better quality leather.

    • +1

      They are not expensive, you are just used to cheap prices made possible by almost modern slavery in a far away country.

      RM Williams boots are made the old ways with Goodyear welts so they can be resoled almost indefinitely. Everything is done with quality and longevity in mind, from the thick leather tops, the full leather heel blocks (yes, they are thick pieces of leather stacked on top of each other to give the boot its height) to the waxed stitches that seal against water. They will last for 20 years if you care for them.

    • +1

      (serious question) What makes them 5x more expensive than say a boot from YD that looks and feels exactly the same?

      Quite a lot. Made in Australia vs southeast asia, yearling full/top grain (high quality) vs 'genuine' leather (low quality), single piece leather vs multiple, re-soleable vs disposable.

      The YD boots are probably fine in their own right, but they're expected to wear out and be thrown out, RM and boots with similar materials and construction are designed to be kept for decades.

    • Ive never compared the two brands.

      But a reasonable guess is RM's being Australian made, and longevity from using a higher level of materials/construction. Some of the added price will of course be brand label association. I think at $450 these are a very reasonable price/quality tradeoff.

      It's doubtful that a $100+ pair of boots from Asia are made to the same standard, but if they are, you should buy 5 pairs before the company goes broke.

      PS, We all try to impress our peers , but junior lawyers probably have to spend more money doing it. You should feel sorry for them ,well not really.

    • +3

      5x more expensive than say a boot from YD that looks and feels exactly the same

      YD boots are "genuine leather" and made in some 3rd world country.

      They most certainly do not feel the same.

      Everyone is different but you're comparing a Ford Focus to an Audi RS5 here.

      • +1

        YD boots = Ford Focus is being extremely generous.

        I'd equate them closer to MG or Haval.

  • Hi Guys,

    I've got some RM boots right now 9H sizing. Do we know what that equates to witht he DJ sizing?

    • Aren’t they the same since the size option on DJ is from RM Williams?

  • +2

    Theres going to be some pissed off people when their RMs wear in. This colour looks awesome, but its pull up leather, designed to rough up and look very worn, not the usual highly polished look most corporates want from their $649 boots

    • If you polish and condition they look fine, but have only had mine for few months.

      • Pretty sure RM advise not to use conditioner on pull up leathers as darkens them?

        • Yea, I use a clear polish. I don’t mind them getting darker

      • You'll eventually take a chunk of leather out. Polish works fine to freshen it up but @MAB is right. There will be a point it probably won't cut it to that high stakes business meeting. I never have to deal with those so it has been the only pair of work shoes I've needed for over 15 yrs. Saved at least $100 a yr after the first 5 yrs but more importantly, the pain of having to bother to go shop for shoes.

  • +1

    What are the alternative non-boot style leather shoes that have same quality as RMs? Loakes? Church?

    • Tuesday boots. They make some really high quality leather sneakers (and other boot styles).

    • Church’s are now Prada, and so crap.

      Loake 1880 is OK, but hard to buy from overseas now and their Aussie RRP is ridiculous and not worth it. Their non-1880 are Asian made garbage.

      Crockett and Jones are worth the step up IMO, but they never go on sale and cost $750-850.

      Alden boots are amazing, and much better quality than RM, but you’ll pay extra for it.

  • None available anymore. Ozbargained!

  • Are these boots actually made in Australia? I see no point in spending top dollar on any boots made in Asia as the quality is dreadful (see UK made Doc Martens vs Asian made Doc Martens as an example).

    • +1

      Yes, they are Australian-made. LVMH only had control of the company for a while and they did outsource some boots to overseas but that's no longer the case. Everything is done in Australia now, even some of their clothing lines.

  • Heads up anyone heading to Royal Adelaide Show, there's a stall selling a large range for $425

    • They're remades.
      There was a apparently a promotion recently to allow trade-in of boots. They were then rebuilt into a new pair of boots.

      • I only walked past, but they looked good-as-new if that's the case. I guess a good shine will do that

  • -1

    I want a pair but I just can't justify it when my $25 pair from Rivers has lasted me 3 years in the office.

  • +1

    First time buyer.. just went to a RM Williams Shop and find out that H-fit works better for me other than G-fit. Wonder if I can exchange it to a H-fit in DJ? Thanks.

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