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You’d be hard-pressed to find a list of Australian fashion icons without an R.M. Williams entry. With an almost 90-year history, R.M. Williams’ boots have earned cult status in the footwear arena and are widely considered to be the national boot of Australia.
I’ve wanted a pair of R.Ms for the longest time and I’ve finally bitten the bullet with my very first pair. I tried on a few styles to find the pair that I liked the most and while it was by no means an easy decision to make, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share my thoughts on the different styles that I tried (as well as the style I ultimately chose!).
Originally crafted for the rugged (and unforgiving) Australian outback, the boots are now a popular choice amongst urbanites. And what started as a mail order business back in 1932 by Reginald Murray Williams after the Great Depression, flourished into an Australian success story. To this day, they still use the same production making techniques and every single pair of boots is handcrafted from a single piece of leather in Adelaide.
While they have an overall ‘everyman’ aesthetic, the prices of R.Ms put them squarely in the luxury category. You’re looking at upwards of $595 for a pair of their boots and it took me a while to get my head around this. (Also, they hardly go on sale or included in any discounted promotion.) The brand stands firm by its pricing, proudly touting “You can screw them up and do what you like. You can’t destroy them.”
The iconic Chelsea boots come in five styles for women – Millicent, Lady Yearling, Maya, Adelaide (in flat and heeled) and Craftsman. From time to time, seasonal designs are released but for purposes of this post, I’m sticking to their classic line, as they were the only boots I properly considered.
The three styles that I was most interested in and tried were the Millicent, Lady Yearling and Adelaide. While I’ll go into the different design aspects of those styles, all the boots I tried were crafted from a single piece of yearling leather, had elasticised gussets on the side and woven branded pull tugs.
So let’s get to it.
Millicent
Design features:
- Pointed needled toe
- 4.5cm cuban-inspired heel
L: Millicent Boot in Chestnut; R: Millicent Boot in Black
Initially, I had my heart set on the Millicent style. The pointy toe and low heels seemed to be right up my alley and I thought it would be a nice feminine take on the classic Chelsea. While I liked how they look from the front, I wasn’t so sure about the side profile. I put it down to the fact that I’m petite and I’m pretty sure all you taller folk out there won’t have the same concerns.
Lady Yearling
Design features:
- Rounded toe
- 4.5cm block heel
- Sits above the ankle
The rounded toe on this style is a sleek and narrow shape. The boot finishes just above the ankle and it provides an overall sleek silhouette. Unlike the Millicent which has a cuban heel, the Lady Yearling has a block heel. I tried this style on in both chestnut and black and had a hard time picking my favourite between the two.
Adelaide Cuban Heel
Design features:
- Rounded toe
- 4.5cm cuban heel
- Sits on the ankle
I consider these to be the most relaxed boot of the styles that I tried. They’re still polished but given they’re a jodhpur boot, they sit on the ankle and don’t provide as sleek a silhouette as the Lady Yearling. The Adelaide style is the newest addition to the R.M. Williams family. It was introduced in 2016 after R.M. Williams was sold to overseas investors (perhaps in a show of heritage?) It was subsequently returned to Australian hands in late 2020.
What style did I ultimately choose?
I ummed and ahhed a lot about which style to choose but I ultimately settled for the Lady Yearling in Chestnut with a rubber sole. You can expect a comprehensive review of these once I’ve given them a proper crack, so watch this space! But having only just purchased them and worn them a couple of times already, I’m so stoked that they’re now part of my collection.
M&S trousers* (sz 8), M&S linen shirt* (sz 8), R.M. Williams boots – AU link / International link, Celine bag (review here), Ray Ban sunglasses
Where to Shop
I initially bought the Millicent boot from The Iconic to try as they always have such a friendly returns policy (and were running a promotion). But as I was waiting for them to arrive, I popped into the R.M. Williams store on my lunch break to try on the different styles properly. Personally, that in-store experience was hard to beat. I also paid a visit to David Jones but it’s worth noting that they don’t carry all the styles nor do they stock half-sizes.
I’d recommend the R.M. Williams stores as well as their online store which carries their complete line and offers the different soles (leather and rubber options). I’m a half size, so I ended up purchasing my boots from the R.M. Williams store in Westfield Sydney. They never run promotions on their shoes so I swallowed the lump in my throat and paid full freight.
Have you had your eye on these boots? And do you have any questions about the boots that you’d like me to factor in for my review? Be sure to pop them into the comments section below.
As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you found my R.M. Williams boots try on to be helpful.
P.S. Lighter neutrals for the office and my tips for making your first designer purchase.
I love RM William boots! I left Australia over 10 years ago, but I always keep a pair to wear during the colder season over here. They are by far the most comfy boots, although, they are not made for snow and really wet conditions, which I learnt the hard way. My own fault! I ordered a new pair when I was last in Australia and they shipped it to me when it was ready. You are right that they have great customer service in their stores. Enjoy your new boots! They look fab on you!!
Author
That’s so great to hear that you love them so much. I’m really looking forward to enjoying them for many years like you have yours. How devastating for you to learn the hard way with your first pair but I’m glad you were able to experience shopping for a new pair all over again!! x
So glad to find this great review…so much is written about the men’s, but little about women’s (and few good on foot pics…the RMW website styling is pretty off putting)! I also recently ordered four pairs to try and concludes that same: coughed up full retail for the store experience for the Craftsman in a super narrow fit (F) and bought the Lady Yearling elsewhere online for $95 less. Both are chestnut. Now to deliberate for the entire returns policy window! Although your picture of the LY with the balloon pants, one of my wardrobe staples, pretty much sold me. Next I’ll get a black pair. Enjoy them. They’re beautiful!!
Author
Thank you so much! It’s comforting to know that you went about the same process and ended up with the same style. Black is next on my list!
I’m a guy who bought some RM Williams Comfort Turnout Chelseas from a Denver quality boot store. My first Chelsea, and it’s clearly well made (I do like boots that last). Thanks for recording the fascinating experience of shopping for women. I did wonder how the product was different for women. We should all have great boots!
I’m looking forward to seeing your review of these boots. As a petite lady, I am always on the hunt for reviews before I buy (and styling ideas of course). It would be great to read some on how the height of the boot works for a petite person, and whether you find they also work with dresses. Do you know if these are waterproof by any chance?
Author
Thanks so much! They’re not waterproof per se but they are SO durable and almost feel indestructible with how well they’re made. I have worn them in the rain a few times with no issues.
Thank you for putting up this review. I have been thinking of getting RM Williams boots for awhile and still trying to convince myself with the price tag. Your review was informative, appreciate the thought process that went in to your decision. I would like to know what made you decide to: (1) choose chestnut over black? (2) choose rubber/comfort vs traditional soles? Thank you!
Author
I’m so glad it was helpful! A few factors went into my decision re colour. I have quite a few black shoes in my collection and the RM Williams Chestnut brown is iconic so it was a no brainer for me. As to the rubber/leather sole decision – I consider the rubber soles to be so much more practical for day to day wear and they’re not slippery. The traditional leather soles are very slippery straight out of the box! I don’t think the rubber sole take anything away from the beauty of the shoe so I went for it. xx V
Thank you for posting and introducing me to the brand! Any thoughts around sizing? True to size/did you have to size up half a size which can be common for boots?
Author
I personally found these true to size!
Such a great review, thank you! I had a flat men’s (or not specifically women’s) pair years ago and sold them as I wasn’t getting wear out of them. They weren’t dressy enough for the office but they were too dressy for casual weekends.
I think a black Lady Yearling pair is calling my name.
Author
I’m so glad to hear it was helpful! I’ve managed to wear my Lady Yearling boots to the office heaps of times – I think everyone needs a pair!
Hi there,
Just went to the RM Williams store and tried the Lady Yearling in chestnut and black. They are out of stock in chestnut and the blacks in stock, they feel amazing ! My question is-which oclour is more versatile? I wear a lot of black tights with skirts/dresses in winter, apart from the odd pair of pants/trousers. I wonder if the chestnut won’t have enough pairing options, although I look the colour in isolation , seperate from my wardrobe. Please help!
Author
I decided to go for the chestnut because I consider it to be an iconic RM Williams colour. At the time, I didn’t think it would be as easy to style as the black, but I’ve been proven wrong! Since adding the chestnut boots to my wardrobe, I’ve been really surprised by how easy they are to style. If anything, they’re just as versatile – including black, which you’ve pointed out. If you take a look at the outfits that I’ve featured in the “daily outfits” section of my blog, you’ll see that I’ve had no trouble styling it with all black, blue, every other neutral tone lol hope that helps!