Crease Guards for RM Williams Comfort Craftsman Boots

So calling it out upfront for all the Comfort Craftsman haters, you need not apply. Although happy for your input as I'm sure it'll be very entertaining like much of the noise and chatter in the actual deals posts 😇

I managed to pick up a pair from the latest R.M Williams Craftsman Boots $454.30 Delivered (RRP $649) @ MYER deal… Awesome deal I finally managed to catch before going out of stock.

First pair… Happy with the buy, each to their own!

Anyhoo… As with Jordan's, I usually whack in some crease guards aka crease protectors… Although the Jordan's are sneakers, they still are 'leather'. These have been great and keep my kicks crease free 😎

So I was thinking, why not do the same to the Comfort Craftsman? 🤔 Couldn't find any discussions around this on trusty Google, hence why I've come to trusty OzB. Has anyone done this?

For those that don't know what crease guards are, see here - https://thesneakerlaundry.com.au/products/crease-protector

Any thoughts on why it's a good idea/bad idea? Is it a silly idea?

Poll Options

  • 1
    Yes, whack in the crease guards already!
  • 51
    Hell no to crease guards, what are you thinking?
  • 1
    I use crease guards in my Comfort Craftsman
  • 4
    I'm a Comfort Craftsman hater

Comments

  • +13

    $400 or not, they're just a pair of boots. use it. Who cares if it greases.

    Here's an example of how I use my boots

    • FYI I have a few pairs of RMS, just wondering are most of the RMS waterproof ?

      • +2

        My socks were dry after 30 mins working in that condition so I’ll say yes.

    • Witch dance is better?

      Newton or John?

  • +9

    Buy a pair of cedar shoe trees to insert when you are not wearing the boots.

    • +3

      I do this for my AF1's as well. Crease guards are retarded.

    • The shoe trees won't help with the creasing that occurs during wear. Just with extra creasing in storage.

  • +5

    It's silly, wear your damn boots. They're a business casual product, not something you're trying to keep as DS as possible to resell later.

    • +2

      They're a business casual product

      funny how this has happened, they certainly didn't start out that way.

  • +5

    WTF is a crease protector?

    • +6

      it's something people use on their shoes who think others care what shoes they're wearing as if they must be in mint condition all the time.

      • It’s an odd thing really… I’ve never thought to myself “I have shoes now. everybody can see that I’ve made it in life”. Wear it, wear it out and resole.

  • +4

    RMs, like everything in the workwear world, look better worn in. Putting crease protectors in RMs is some sort of sacrilege.

  • +5

    are u one of those tiktokers that leave the stickers and labels and tags on the shoe?

  • I've had mine for 18 months and look basically new by using these between wears: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07CBR6L3X/ref=pe_1770272_27798…

    PS Ignoring everyone in this thread calling them 'just boots' - they're an investment and there's nothing wrong with looking after them and extending their life as much as possible. I for one prefer my boots looking new and not like an old scrotum.

    • I have the same for a pair of Thursday boots and can second their effectiveness. I don't think you'd notice their absence while the boots are fresh, but after they start aging, the toes doo start sagging a bit while not on foot.

    • Hahahaha love it, looking like an old scrotum is exactly what I had in mind when I saw some second hand items for sale on FB. I always questioned who the hell would buy this, but since creating this thread and seeing the comments and posting votes, it appears we are the minority!

      Thanks for the link, also good to see your input that is the contrary to the other majority.

      Although I appreciate their input too!

      Maybe no to crease guards, but yes to the cedar inserts 😎

      • +3

        They only look like scrotes when they haven't been cared for properly. If you maintain them properly with leather conditioner, polish, etc they will look great even after years of wear.

      • +1

        Almost definitely no to crease guards but get some shoe trees

        I’ve got a sh.t ton of Jordans (1, 3, 4, &6’s) and air maxes (1’s and BWs) and crease Guards are stupid. I know why you have them and totally agree with you on keeping them looking box fresh nut they are also stupid. Get shoe trees, your RM’s will be fine with shoe trees. Also use shoe trees in your sneakers and they will look fine (use plastic trees in your sneakers - get the adjustable type not the spring looking ones - and wooden shoe trees in your dress shoes).

        • Why not the spring ones? I'm using the cheapy Ikea spring ones for my sneakers (cedar for my GYW)

          • @Cheaplikethebird: I find they stretch out the back like in the heel cup area of the sneaker and make the shape weird. Dress shoes can handle it because they are much stiffer in the heel but sneakers - depending on the material - can put them out of shape

            I use this type (but bought of eBay where they are a hell of a lot cheaper)
            https://thesneakerlaundry.com.au/products/shoe-tree

            And yeah cedar trees for GYW dress shoes

    • +8

      they're an investment

      Unless you are renting them out to random punters and earning income via UberBoots, then no, they are not an 'investment' they are simply a piece of clothing that will wear out over (a long) time.

      • They’re an investment in yourself. I’m at least 15 years in on mine, and they still look pretty damned good. Never gotten anywhere near that sort of life from any other boot

        • They’re an investment in yourself.

          Same could be said of a day at the spa or a new iPhone. Doesn't make either an investment. Unless you're a social media influencer or constantly daytrade from your smartphone.

          Mine are going on 20 years. I did have a second pair that developed a hole in the upper after about fifteen years, was bummed over that as they still looked great.

          But neither was an investment. They were just nicely made boots, i.e. depreciating assets.

      • Okay - I didn't mean investment in that it's going to pay dividends or increase in resale value but that they're not a cheap buy and that it's worth taking care of them.
        Interestingly the Collins Dictionary gives an example of an Investment that is 'selecting a pair of boots'!

    • +3

      they're an investment

      High yield investment vehicle? who knew.

    • +1

      …not just boots, but an investment.

  • +3

    cowboy music stops

    • +3

      Duelling banjo music commences in 3,2,1…

      • +1

        …not just boots, but an investment.

    • +1

      When the cowboy music stops the inbreeding starts

  • +3

    I went to the website and still don't understand what these things are- are you supposed to put them inside the boots and then wear them? Which seems like it'd make the boots bloody uncomfortable.

    Or if you only stick them in when the boots are stored, then the best option is the old option- wooden shoe trees. And the free option is… wadded up rolls of paper. Both absorb moisture as well as help retain shape, versus plastic with tiny little pinholes in the surface.

    • lol you got it right in your first sentence, they are inserts that go inside and always stay in. They are a very soft plastic, fairly flimsy but work a treat on my Jordan kicks, not uncomfortable at all.

      But yeah, I think it was a silly idea… Will look into the cedar inserts for between wears!

      • Personally, I think that very new looking RMs look too wannabe corporate. See too many besuited types in the city wearing them.

        I've used them as office shoes too, but at least mine look worn-in.

        That said, I think that RMs are only good for office/city wear. They're bloody terrible outdoor shoes.

  • Theyre your shoes, do whatever you want

  • +3

    Just keep them conditioned and you'll be roight.

    Creases are part of having shoes.

  • +4

    If you're all about re-sale value then sure go for it. But I reckon you'll miss out on the best part of owning RMs which is when they are broken in and feel like they were made for your foot.

  • +2

    Just change the way you walk instead.

  • +3

    your boots sound very fragile & delicate

  • Actually, to put things in sneaker head terms, in the grand scheme of posh dress shoes, saying you want to put crease guards to protect your RM’s is like telling a sneaker head you want to baby your Jordan 2s

  • +1

    Why not just wear them? My RM’s were circa $500 15 years ago, resoled twice and going strong! They have had a solid working life on a farm most of that time.

    Stuff like this seems cray cray to be honest… but enjoy the boots, they’re bloody great!

    • Serious question- do you find them better than 'normal' rubber soled boots?

      Every time I've worn my RMs off a standard footpath and onto dirt or grass, I think "fck me these things are damn slippery" because I am used to Vibram-soled hiking boots.

      I once made the mistake of travelling to a North American winter with RMs, and they are utterly deadly on ice, but that was clearly on me not thinking ahead.

      • +1

        Depends which ones. Leather soled, yeah absolutely. Rubber soled have been (literally) bulletproof, and haven’t failed or slipped in some pretty arduous terrain.

        Edit to add: ice is a different ball game and requires special soft compounds not common in Australia. Plus I suspect they wouldn’t wear well outside of sub zero winters.

      • Do you have leather soled shoes? Regardless of brand leather soled shoes aren’t great when it gets wet.

        Diante soled shoes, a probably the best quality rubber you can get on a rubber soled dress shoe, are like glass when they’re wet

        • I've had both the leather, and whatever an earlier iteration of the synth/rubbery (Comfort?) sole was. Both were pretty bad offroad- both were slippery. Leather 'cause it's leather, and the rubber soles because they were not lugged.

  • You're not gonna be able to avoid the creasing, if you've put on the boots before, the action of putting on the boots is quite creasing already. Just use the boots.

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