Show us your SHOES !!!

[daizawaguy]

 

[Lexybeast]

That's a Weymouth all right. Very nice. RM Williams, Vass, C&J... your shoe collection makes me very jealous. lol

 

[cookie]

They've been around since at least the 1900s.


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The FootJoy Compnay ceased its USA based production with the cosure of its last local USA /MA factory last year I read somewheres.

 

[Michaelshane]

I just got these shoes a few days ago. They are great, the only problem is they squeak when I walk. I have located the problem, it is where the top of the foot meets the leather the laces are laced through. Has anyone else had this problem or know of a way to alleviate it? Thanks!

Baby powder works for squeaky floors....Maybe for leather?

 

[The Shooman]

Why do you say that? I have some older boots, say 9-10 years and some I bought last year. I hadn't really noticed a drop off in quality - but I might not have been looking that hard either.

Do you mean the 'comfort' variation with the non-leather soles and the new-fangled innersole?

l'm talking about boots made around 25+ years ago. The quality drop off has been around for quite a while. My last pairs of RMW were bought around 12 years ago.

Are you referring to something very old, or are you comparing unlike models? Have to disagree on the quality statement...

l'm comparing the exact same brass screwed model.

You have only been buying them for 10 years so you are probably not aware of the quality decline.

 

[The Shooman]

Is it hard to get brass-screwed soles replaced? They certainly look nice, but thought it might be one disadvantage.

lt's easy as pie.

 

[The Shooman]

Why do you say that? I have some older boots, say 9-10 years and some I bought last year. I hadn't really noticed a drop off in quality - but I might not have been looking that hard either.

Do you mean the 'comfort' variation with the non-leather soles and the new-fangled innersole?

Quality is definately dropped in the leather quality. 25 years ago the uppers were of a real tight grain, now the grain is alot loser (a simple running of your finger along the grain hide uppers will comfirm this: the higher the pitch the better the grain). The old ones took alot of punishment and the soles lasted long. The new ones are more prone to splitting (numerous people have reported that) and l find the soles wear out in next to no time. Also the finishing of the shoos/boots are very basic now.

l can't say if quality has dropped in the last 10 years, but it has definately dropped in the last 25 years.

 

[daizawaguy]

Does anyone have photos of old RM Williams boots? Love to see very old pairs...

 

[Tomasso]

Does anyone have photos of old RM Williams boots? Love to see very old pairs...

Me too.

 

[The Shooman]

Me too.

l'll dig a pair of mine out when l go down my beach house next, they won't look pretty, i've only polished them once in quarter of a century. Still as tough as nails.

l'll also try and go one better.....i'm seeing the principle `last' designer for R.M.Williams [hopefully next week]. l'll try and get some photo's of some old boots. He first made lasts for RMW in 1968 l believe.

Yes, i've seen pairs made in the 30's and after. Pity l never took photo's. l've even seen dog shoos made by RMW.

 

[Papa Smurf]

First off sweet shoes, very nice indeed. Now for the squeak. I use a dab of Pecards leather dressing in between the two layers of leather you've described on my Aldens. It alleviates the squeak for some time. Basically lubricates the area. after a while they don't squeak anymore. But during dryer weather it squeak will return. That is when I use a little extra to keep the leather moist. But not too much, otherwise you'll have a greasy looking leather because the Pecards won't soak in any more. Like I said, a dab. Secondly, don't lace them too tight towards the bottom. This should help as well.
Hope this helps you out.

Cheers!

Dan

Thanks, I'll give that a try!

 

[The Shooman]

Custom width, and leather/composite sole combinations, ordered through Barry at bootsonline...all for the standard price!!

L-R French calf, Suede, Kangaroo, Standard

Here is alittle bit l wrote about R.M.Williams:

"R.M.Williams 1 – the everlasting iconic brand is in great hands!!!
This brings me to my next point about R.M.Williams and Australian leather.

When l mentioned my concerns about RMW getting some clothing made offshore and abandoning there traditional Australian outback image, Bruce (he is the man that has designed all of the R.M.Willams lasts for the last 42+ years) said not to worry and that the business is in great hands and will survive a long time without having to outsource too much. He says the boots will be made in Oz for many many years to come. RMW is very unique in how the business is set up and operates.

RMW is such an iconic image that it can’t afford to go to China to cut costs. The outback cowboys on cattle stations have a lot to do with keeping the R.M.Williams spirit alive. A lot of R.M.Williams business is through a travelling coach that is constantly travelling to the remotest places in the outback selling boots, cowboy hats and clothes to people once a year. The RMW coach is a big deal for these lonely outback people, it’s the only chance they get to buy any clobber: bunches of these people live on HUGE cattle stations, some are 6 millions square acres (25 times the size of Luxembourg or about 40 times the size of Hong kong, [l think]). When the RMW coach arrives everyone celebrates and buys the truck out. They sell shitloads of stuff at each stop at remote locations. The outback people don’t shop online and they will always be fiercely loyal to Made-In-Australia goods by RMW; it’s iconic and traditional and they have always bought RMW. The cheaper made-in-China stuff doesn’t get bought by these outback people (the Asian stuff doesn’t sell as well as the Made-in-Oz stuff), they only buy made-in-Oz. The coach is so popular that they were considered getting three full time trucks on the road to sell, but they stopped it because they didn’t want to flood the outback with too much RMW, they wanted the cowboys to buy once a year so there would be excitement and a rush to buy everything. It works. These people don’t understand or relate to online buying and they are certainly not going to travel 3000 miles to buy some R.M.Williams boots. The coach is beautiful, a fully furnished travelling shop, custom made inside.

Because of the strong outback image and the coach keeping the RMW philosophy alive, the iconic image stays as strong as ever and is now known and appreciated around the world. Not many companies have the rock solid strong image that they have. Allen Edmonds don’t have that strong image because the geography and behaviour of America is completely different to these outback guys, they don’t have the remoteness that feeds loyalty like we do, and the average American customer is happy to use the internet and/or find cheaper deals elsewhere. Bruce told me a storey about an oil barron who specially flew over to oz and bought $200,000 worth of R.M.Williams boots. I asked Bruce why the barron didn’t just get bespoke made in Europe, he said it was because RMW is iconic and people love the outback image.


R.M.Williams 2 – hits dirt 20 years ago, but Reggy revamps the company
Bruce Millar knew Reg Williams for years and said when he sold the factory, they had all these office worker consultants come in and try to change everything so costs could be cut. A few years went by and people were wondering why the outback blokes were so pissed off with the product. The consultants couldn’t work out what they were doing wrong and why the products had problems. Reg Williams came back to the factory and was so disgusted with what he saw that he bought the business back. When Reg Williams was in the factory he was shocked at the stupid changes the consultants had made to the product. For starters….Reg asked where the hell are the little side pockets on the pants. The consultants said that they weren’t important and they took them off the design so they could cut costs. Reg nearly had a fit and explained to these morons that he had travelled the outback for years speaking to the cowboys and they mentioned the need for a small side pocket to put their pocketknives in. The new changes meant that they had no-where proper to keep it. Another thing was that the boots started to squeak. Reg told the consultants that the thread used to stitch the boots needed mutton fat rubbed on them: they laughed at Reg thinking he was joking, but as usual they found out Reg was right. The try-hard office boys were sacked and Reg revamped the company. It’s now owned by media man Kerry Stokes.

RMW have a tough job because they employ 300 staff at the South Australia factory (boot people, clothing people, and office staff); they also lose 20% of staff every year and have a very labour intensive product (they don’t cut corners), so costs are high. They make 600 boots per day. They still survive in an environment where outsourcing to Asia is the norm. lt just shows you….cost cutting and going overseas isn’t necessary if you have a strong iconic brand run by the right people..people who understand brand identity and quality.

There is a market for bespoke shoos in Australia!
He also says that there is definitely a market for bespoke shoos in Australia. He says that many people are happy to pay $3,000 for a shoe but they don’t because no-one is really experienced and skilled enough [in Oz] to do the top work that cordwainers do overseas, so the market for bespoke is filled overseas. If something is great, people will travel the world to get it!

He says that proper handwelted shoos stopped being completely made in factories in the early 60’s, but it was being fazed out a decade earlier (1950’s). lt makes sense too: many many aussies were employed in boot factories during the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s: there wouldn’t be so many working in factories if everything was machine welted.

He also says that Australian leather is not much good and that RMW sources it’s hides from 5 different European countries."

It comes from this thread:
http://forums.filmnoirbuff.com/viewtopic.php?id=5804&p=6

 

[skyvue]

I bought these shoes at the Barney's warehouse sale a couple of weeks back.

They're Barney's Co-op brand, made in Italy. Leather soles. I like the grain in the leather and the fact that they're sort of wide in the toe, instead of the long, narrow toes so many shoes have today.

 

[daizawaguy]

l'll dig a pair of mine out when l go down my beach house next, they won't look pretty, i've only polished them once in quarter of a century. Still as tough as nails.

l'll also try and go one better.....i'm seeing the principle `last' designer for R.M.Williams [hopefully next week]. l'll try and get some photo's of some old boots. He first made lasts for RMW in 1968 l believe.

Yes, i've seen pairs made in the 30's and after. Pity l never took photo's. l've even seen dog shoos made by RMW.

Than k you Sir...would love to see an old pair...they have that photo on the box of a real old one..and that`s the reason I fell in love with the RMW...

 

[The Shooman]

Than k you Sir...would love to see an old pair...they have that photo on the box of a real old one..and that`s the reason I fell in love with the RMW...

l've always avoided posting my R.M.Williams boots online, so this is a first, i've done it for you guys, and only on this forum.

This boot is 25 years old and the only RMW that l put a sole covering on, so the original sole is preserved for all to see. This is the second time i've ever polished them.

My one here:

* wheeling around the edges of the soles (the new ones don't have it...they cut costs)

* a thicker and nicer done sole (the new ones are very puny...they cut costs and have gone for a less artistic sole)

* The waist treatment!!! Really beefy in those days and served it's proper purpose as riding boots (these days it's alot less pumped up around the waist).

Look carefully at the waist, it's quite different: see the curving edge of the sole cover.

They are world's apart from the new stuff they are selling you guys. These are the real deal!

 

[Selvaggio]

Shooman, I see what you mean, they don't quite make 'em like they used to! Beautiful boots. The leather upper and soles looks really substantial - may they provide you with service for another 25 years.

 

[Lefty]

This might be made better, but it's really ugly.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

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These modern beauties went for $80: http://cgi.ebay.com/JONES-BOOTMAKER-England-black-white-spectator-shoes-9-D_W0QQitemZ200447017061



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[Selvaggio]

Awww.. I don't think they are ugly - that's just not a flattering angle. They look quite smart from this view..

 

[The Shooman]

This might be made better, but it's really ugly.

Of course it's ugly, it's been through alot and has only been treed last year. Still, whether it's ugly or not is not the point, i'm showing you how they used to make the RMW boots. The photo's say it all!