 This is the R.M. Williams rick-a-Bee. Yeah, R.M. Williams do make lace-up boots. Now in this video, we're going to review this boot and I'll take you on a business trip that I took across South Australia and Victoria. So be prepared for some segues into different country. G'day, how are you going? Welcome to bootlossophy and if you're new to this channel, my name is Tech. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land that I'm filming this piece on, the Wajat people. But because I'll also be on Ghana, Gondijmarra and Wurundjerai land, I will also acknowledge their country and their relationship to their land. Now keep watching the video because while I take this pair of R.M.s through some parts of Australia, for non-Australians, I will also tell you about the Welcome to Country ceremony and the acknowledgement of country protocols. This video currently is being filmed here in Perth in Western Australia, but I'll also be filming in Ghana country in Adelaide and in Gondijmarra country in Western Victoria. But of course, it is about the R.M. Williams-Rickabee, R.M.'s lace-up boot. So let's go. The B-roll vision in this section is filmed in and around Portland in Western Victoria. I'm going to splice it in in places. This is the R.M. Williams-Rickabee in Charlestead's Tobacco Suede. I'll put a link to the website below. I have also previously reviewed an earlier version in Black Newbuck, see up in the corner there. Now I guess for boot people used to American heritage boots, you might call this a service boot. It has all the usual hallmarks. It has a six-inch shaft, a low-block heel made up of a vamp piece, quarter panels and an internal heel counter with no discernible backstay, just to seam up the back. But this is actually a take on an Aussie farm or station that's Aussie for a ranch, a work boot. In fact, R.M. Williams calls it a modern take on a classic workwear design. With the almond-shaped toe, people even rode with this style of boot. However, the modern take is in the cleaning up of the lines and in this case, the use of a non-workwear material, soft suede, and with the low-profile rubber sole, it can be worn casually. In fact, easily worn with jeans of any type, including darker indigo that portrays maybe a more dressy look. It's a casual boot that can be worn in the dirt and the dust. The last is elegant and shapely and the almond toe is reminiscent of R.M. Williams' Chelsea boots. Now, as I said, some of this B-roll is shot in Gondagemara country, east of here in Western Victoria. So let me explain about Australia's cultural protocols. When visitors arrive at a place, they are given a ceremony that is a welcome to country. Now, this even happens at major sports games, large events and so on. It's a ceremony that invites visitors in the same way as was practised in the local language, of course, not in English, millennia ago. The visitors then acknowledge the welcome by stating a short declaration called an acknowledgement of country in the form of acknowledging the people of that country and in more formal events paying respect to their leaders, past, present and future. The respect paid by an acknowledgement of country is shown at the start of our national broadcasters' news and current events programmes and in government and other meetings. And many of our bigger companies have also put an acknowledgement into their websites as part of their reconciliation action plans. Go check out the bottom of the R.M. Williams Aussie website, use the link below. It's actually become a national cultural protocol due to the efforts of previous governments and our reconciliation Australia Council. So now I'm filming in Adelaide in my hotel room, which is appropriate because I'm going to talk quickly about R.M. Williams. I have reviewed other R.M. Williams boots, so if you want to explore more of the history, you can check out this video up here. Now, R.M. Williams was founded by the man himself, Reginald Murray Williams, in 1932. He was a South Australian and founded his workshop and first store in the property still shown on the boot taps of his Chelsea boots, which is 5 Percy Street in Prospect, a suburb of Adelaide. Over the years after R.M. sold and then retired, it has passed through different hands and is now owned by one of Australia's richest men, Mining Magnet Andrew Forrest. Today, R.M. has stores all over Australia and the world and where it doesn't have its own presence, sells through quality retailers as well as through their website. The Prospect workshop is now a museum and in their stores, R.M. Williams sells their famous craftsman Chelsea boot as well as other standard models and it brings out some old designs now and then seasonally. Now, let's turn to construction. It's built on a proprietary long horn rubber comfort outsole with a grip pattern that's similar to V-brims, a V-bar type outsole. The grip of the rubber over concrete in the urban jungle as well as over sand and rocks and mud is actually excellent. The construction method is a 270-degree Goodyear welt. Now, I'm not going to talk too much about Goodyear welting as I explain it in every video I've done so far, but if you're new to Goodyear welt construction, you can go and see this video up here, which explains how they're put together as well as the pros and cons of Goodyear welting. The welt is basically stitched through the outside edge of the welt as well as the midsole and outsole, while on the inside it's separately stitched to the turn-in uppers and the insole. There is a fiberglass shank, so airport-friendly, giving good arch support and it's placed in the cork-filling layer in this gap between the heel and the ball of the foot. RM Williams usually uses a leather insole rather than leather board, but I don't know enough about the construction of the rickety to swear to this, but if you look inside, it looks and feels like any other RM comfort craftsman, Chelsea, so I'll stick my neck out and say that this has a leather insole. If you look inside the boot, it's a firm leather insole with a half Sahil protector slip sole, and in fact, it really gives you a really nice comfortable footbed like on the Chelsea's. The back quarter of the boot is not part of the three-quarter welt and so it's glued and nailed to the insole and then the heel, which is a stacked leather heel, as well as the rubber top lift is glued and then nailed into the sole. This is on for good. I've never known one of their welted boots to ever lose a heel or have the outsole strip off. Moving on up, there is a padded comfort slip sole like in the comfort craftsman, Chelsea's. This gives a lot of great arch support as well as comfort on foot, as I've said. The inside of the boot is fully lined with soft glove leather and even the tongue is lined. And oh, by the way, apart from the suede, all the leather components in this boot are tanned here in Australia. The suede, of course, is from the famous suede tannery of Charleston, England. It is quite thick for a suede. Because of the lining, I can't measure it, but it feels thick. The temper, however, is soft and supple and the nap is just buttery soft. This tobacco color is one of RM's favorite suede colors and it patinas really well and it will also darken a little bit through wear. Going up to the top, the last is a round toe almond shaped last with a more than usual, a four RM at least, round toe side profile giving comfy room in the toe box. Look, I love the shape and feel of this last, even more than their popular craftsmen last. There is a soft toe puff. I think it's elastic, but I'm also pretty sure the heel counter, which is sewn in between the lining and the upper, is leather. On the inside, not sure you can see it, they've sewn out a rough out internal heel cover for grip. The tongue is not gusseted, but with its lining, it's firm enough not to slip. The hardware is slightly antique brass, seven generous sized eyelets with no speed hooks. They are fixed in with washes at the back well, so there's no scratching of the tongue. The edges of the lace facings and the shaft collar, they're unfinished edges, not French rolled, but it still looks very nicely finished. The stitching on the uppers is immaculate and I want to show you the single seam of the back and of course, up the top is the single cloth pull tab with the famous RM Williams embroidery made in Australia. As for care, RM will tell you to use their products. Their suede protector spray to waterproof the suede and their suede cleaner spray and suede brush. Now, don't get me wrong, their products are really good and I use them on RMs as well as on other brands, but you don't have to use their branded products, which can be on the higher end of pricing. To care for suede, you brush dirt off with a suede brush to remove the dirt and to raise the nap. If there are stubborn spots, you spot clean with a suede eraser and then you brush again. If really dirty, use a suede cleaning spray, but don't spot clean. Spray it on a soft cloth and use the damp cloth to clean the whole boot so as to avoid creating uneven spots. You let it dry and then you use the suede brush again to re-raise the nap. Now let's talk sizing, fit and comfort. RM Williams uses the UK Sizing Convention and they are true to size in UK sizing. By the way, they size exactly the same as Weiberg to Commonwealth countries using UK sizing. UK Sizing Convention uses one number down from US sizes. So for example, an 8.5 US is a UK 7.5, but you know where US boot brands say that you should size a half down from your true brand size? In this case, you should take your exact true size. However, if you're a wide D-Width, but not quite an E-Width, I would consider sizing up, especially if you like thick socks. This is quite snug. I'll use myself as an example. I measure US 8.5 D on the brand, but on the cusp of going to an E-Width at the ball. This is a UK 8 medium. In RM Williams, I should wear a 7.5 G. G is medium and 7.5 G does fit, but in some of the last, I'd actually go up to 8 G because they're slim. I have tried 7.5 wide because of proportionate measurements. I found my heel is looser. So for many RMs, this included, I size up to 8 G. I know it's confusing, what can I say? Comfort though is exceptional. The suede is soft and supple, yet the thickness with the lining as well means you get a lot of support. The toe box is great and it doesn't squish your toes. The insole comfort is cushioned and it's really shock absorbing on all that leather. The arch support is great. I can and I've walked around all day in these. Okay, let's go. All right then. What you've been waiting to hear, value. Now, this is recorded in March of 2024 and RMs have had a price rise not too many months ago, so I don't expect another one soon. The RM Williams Riccabee is listed at Aussie 649 bucks. Now, that is a lot in the world of boots in Oz, especially as you can get an Aussie made, completely hand stitched, artisan handmade wooden boot for just over 800. So what do you get for 650? The quality is there. The stitching is excellent. The materials are Australian, ignore Charles have said, and they use proper natural veg tent leather insoles and midsole and heel counters. The comfort is all day comfort. The sturdiness and reliability I can attest to. I have RM boots that have lasted me 20 years, used and abused in the bush. So you know, cost per year is pretty good. In my other reviews, as the price kept going up, I have said, oh, I don't know, how much of the price is a premium for the brand? I think I still haven't, ooh, about it, but I'm coming round. Look, the labor is Australian and it's not shipped overseas and Australia has one of the highest GDP in the world, so wages are high. Let me wimp out. Let me just say that if these last me 20 years, that's a cost of $32 a year. Make up your own mind. Well, I hope you like this review of the RM Williams Lace Up Riccabee Boot and my segue into parts of Australia. Let me know if you want more insertion in my videos of where I go, be polite, and don't forget to click on like. And please, if you're a regular, I ask you to subscribe. So many of my regulars watch my videos when they come out, but not many are actually subscribed. Go on, do it. Until the next time, please take care of yourselves and I'll see you again soon.