There is a "limited time" 20% sale on a few RM Williams standard width craftsmans, namely Black Chocolate, Saddle & Tobacco Suede in mens.
This can be stacked with new Iconic customers HEYICONIC75 (use a burner) for an additional $75 off bringing it to $444.20.
Potential to stack with 20% Cashrewards (up to $20) but cannot confirm - https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/861480
$20 off for the referee ($99 minimum spend), and $20 credit for the referrer.
Yea I saw, you're the third person to link that on the thread xD
Raygun quality from Straya!
UK 8 OOS, happens every time.
Surprised that they don’t do half a size increment - the chestnut variant has 8, 8.5 etc
came here to post this…
Gemini summary:
In this video, the speaker reviews a pair of RM Williams Comfort Craftsman boots, a popular Australian brand known for its high-quality leather boots.
The speaker discusses the history of the RM Williams brand, including its founding in 1932 by a horseman named Philip Bowring, its rise to fame in the 1960s and 1970s, and its subsequent sale to a number of different companies.
The speaker then focuses on the RM Williams Comfort Craftsman boots, which retail for $589. The speaker praises the quality of the leather used in the boots, but criticizes the overall construction of the boots, which they believe is not worth the price. The speaker also criticizes the use of fake leather in the insole of the boots, which they believe is a major flaw.
Overall, the speaker is disappointed in the quality of the RM Williams Comfort Craftsman boots and believes that they are not worth the price.
And what boots in its price range does the speaker recommend then?
The reviewer doesn't explicitly recommend a specific boot in the same price range as the RM Williams Comfort Craftsman. However, they do suggest that if someone wants to stick with RM Williams, they should consider the more traditional version of the boot, which has a better build quality, including a real leather insole.
Additionally, they imply that other boots with similar heritage construction, such as those made with thicker leather and better materials, would be more worth the price. Specifically, they mention Red Wing boots as an example of a brand that offers good quality boots at a lower price point ($300 to $350) compared to the $600 RM Williams boots.
So, while they don't name a specific model, the recommendation leans towards either getting the traditional RM Williams boots and adding a quality insole or considering other reputable heritage boot brands like Red Wing, which offer better value for the money.
https://chatgpt.com/share/6482d953-d227-4df7-bb22-87ed886012…
@itsfree: Red Wings are half this price again here in Australia, and not at all the same style of boot.
@itsfree: Far out chatgpt is getting good. Give it another year and you won't be able to tell whether it's human or not. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if within 2 years you'll be able to select a tone/speaking style, or upload some of your own writing and have it adopt your own unique style. Scary sh!t.
@Grazz989: Check out their voice feature for something mindblowing. I used it the other day. Crazy stuff
This maths homework demo from Khan Academy was pretty awesome too
How do you do this?
You can use Google's Gemini chatbot and just ask it to "Summarise <YT link>"
But I prefer to use one of the YouTube GPTs from ChatGPT's "app store", as ChatGPT is much more capable than Gemini. This is the one I used in my second comment.
@itsfree: Just tried with a random CNN video in chat GPT.
Summarise
https://youtu.be/W1T_wvVnR_Q?si=QPjVHEJi66-0Vwdx
It came back and said:
I can't directly view or summarize the content from the YouTube link you provided. However, if you describe the video or provide key details, I'd be happy to help summarize or discuss its content!
Is there anything I'm doing wrong?
@Circly: Hmm it worked for me – make sure you click "Always Allow" when it asks if it can communicate with "gpt.conceptiful.com"
I also watched this this morning and wondered how soon I would be posting the video on an OzBargain deal :D
fake leather insole for a $600 boot. No thanks.
Do note that he is reviewing this as a AUD$900 (600 USD) boot instead of a AUD$450 one. The expectations would differ greatly if you were dropping almost a thousand dollars on a boot.
These retail for $650. Still bad for that price.
RRP is pretty meaningless if they go on sale every few months for mid 400s. It's not like anyone here swears by the RRP for any other product.
The point of the video is to let people know how downhill RM Williams has gone compared to what they used to be. $450/$650/$1000 it doesn’t matter. Having a fake leather insole that isn’t removable is unacceptable. The boot is ruined once it wears out (which will happen a lot faster than real leather). Quite disappointing
@bennybaubles: Is the fake leather insole present in the craftsman? The comfort craftsman line being reviewed in the video is not a 1:1 comparison as the whole point of the line is to swap out some of the leathers with synthetics.
@eecan: I just rang our R.M Williams and they said no, the comfort cushion isn’t in the craftsman It’s only in the comfort craftsman. I then said to her that it’s not going to last as long as real leather and she said you can get the shoes, resoled and the inner replaced. It would cost approximately $250 to do so. This is unacceptable. I told her that it’s disappointing, thanked her and hung up.
So the cheaper one is going to be even waaaay shittier. Got it
Valid point but no way in hell I would pay $450 for these
Haha, I actually watched this video last night!
I bought the exact same RMs a couple of months ago and was pretty satisfied with them—until I saw the video. I have to admit, they’re comfortable to walk in and the "cheap" inner foam gives some extra bounce.
As for durability, I can't say much yet, but I do have another pair of RMs (the Randwick model) and both rear tabs ripped off within weeks. I owned a pair of RMs back in the mid-2000s, and the quality back then was definitely better than what I’m seeing now.
People should definitely take note of this before buying one…..
2 pairs of the same boot (10 years apart). Marginal difference in quality. Holding up well.
I have Craftman's from 2001, 2010 & 2017, they're all great.
Rose Anvil had also received an RM boot a few years ago and liked the construction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLXflRQWhf4
Their latest review of the comform craftsman was very negative though.
@xuqi: My most recent pair is now 12 months old. Definitely not too different from the pair (now used for gardening) from 10 years back.
Looks like this excludes the wider fit :/
When I was fitted up, they said I was a H width. But I was wearing thick socks that day. I am wondering whether I could get away with the regular width if I'm just wearing dress socks.
get fitted with dress socks. Might be difficult to return/exchange
I am not sure if these are the same quality they had previously.
I received an RM belt as a birthday gift, but it’s the wrong size. In the meantime, I managed to snag another one from The Iconic during their last big sale for ~$79 instead of $150.
Unfortunately, the RM store won't refund me with cash or store credit unless it goes back to the original gift-giver (awkward!). Now I'm debating whether to just get another belt, wait the 90 days, and hope for one of their rare boot sales, or simply grab it from The Iconic today. 🤔
Have a conversation with the gift giver and let them know what you intend to do; it’s only awkward if you make it awkward
Fair point. They gave me the gift in June though 😅
I'm in the last week to return it
Doesn’t hurt to ask, I’m sure they would be pretty understanding due to sizing
@Magicmannn: @BartholemewH Thanks for the advice guys - I returned it! Money went back to my friend's card and I just dropped them a message existing the situation
They'd rather you got use out of the gift, than leave the incorrect size in the wardrobe.
Save some extra and get a proper English-made pair of boots. They know how to make them and take pride in their work.
can you recommend some brands?
Crockett and Jones. I've had their Tetbury model for over ten years, worn 2-3 times a week on average, and I'm only now considering a resole. The uppers still look near new. Yes the retail here is $895, but if you're patient and look hard enough you can find them on sale from overseas closer to $600. Any model with a "dainite" rubber sole will last and the shoe designs are still perfect for dress or casual.
The Tetbury is a chukka though. They obviously make Chelsea boots too like RMs, which should be able to be found for cheaper as the Tetbury has the Bond hype.
I'd only go leather soles if you're wearing primarily in-office.
Sizing is the same as RMs.
Like which brand or model?
As above.
Cheers
$0 from your neighbour's hard waste
$0 if you steal some from a construction site…
RM Williams Craftsman or Blundstone Heritage ?
Glad I chose $150 mongrels. Absolutely love them.
Just bought a pair of blundstone Hertiage - https://www.theiconic.com.au/blundstone-heritage-152-men-s-1…
currently on sale - good reviews - feel very nice
Pity that it only goes up to men's size 12.
Check your size. Like RM's these run large. I normally wear a US 10.5/11 and run a 9 in these
Is black chocolate the standard normal black colour?
its a slightly more matt finish black
Ok thanks. Lucky I did not order then
To me it looks more like black licorice colour but it may be just what it looks like on my computer monitor. The leather is dark black with a texture.
20% off Rossi at RB Sellars. I think I'll get a pair of Rossi and compare them to my RMs
I would be very interested in your comments where you compare a pair of Rossi boots with your RM Williams. What model RM Williams Do you have?
Hmm don't think I will bother actually as I want a leather sole, also it's a lot of money so not just for shits n giggles
No one should be buying boots off that green energy scam merchant Twiggy when based Gina has a competing boot company that provides a better quality product at a lower price - https://rossiboots.com.au/products/503-kidman-boot-black-bla…
Made in India.
From Australian cows
Any other good boots company/brand besides R M Williams? I know Florshiem is one but they stopped making leather soles. Unfortunately Rossi only have Chelsea style
Florsheim are not good at all.
Nice