---
node: garment_rm_williams
type: garment
slug: rm_williams
title: "R.M.Williams boots"
lead: "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."
published: 2026-08-10
updated: 2026-08-10
image_file: rm_williams.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_RM_Williams_comfort_craftsman_boots_-_front_and_side_view.jpg"
image_author: "Nick-D"
image_license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

## 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.