RM Williams and Crockett & Jones are two of the world’s biggest boot-making companies, and if you look at products from both brands, you can clearly see the uniqueness and differences in each.
The major difference between both companies is that RM Williams became popular and is more widely known for making Chelsea boots while Crockett & Jones seem to be a more diverse shoe brand.
RM Williams’s most popular, and arguably, best product is the Craftsman Boot. This boot is one of the most popular and most sold Chelsea boots in the world.
The Craftsman boot brought the RM Williams brand to the limelight and made people regard it as a Chelsea boot-producing company.
Crockett & Jones, however, does not have a sole product that brought about its popularity. It is therefore just regarded as a boot-producing company.
Brief History of RM Williams and Crockett and Jones
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RM Williams is an Australian clothing and footwear company that is best known for producing some of the most popular Chelsea boots for both men and women. Boots from this company are made of premium, high-quality leather.
Crockett and Jones, on the other hand, is a company founded in Northampton and known to be specialized manufacturers of high-quality Goodyear-welted footwear.
Established in 1879, boots from this company are capable of lasting ten (10) times longer than an average boot.
Both companies are manufacturers of great boots and footwear generally so it is not out of place to place them on a scale to see which of them does it best. Let us get on with it.
Which is a better brand between RM Williams and Crockett and Jones
It is really hard to give a clear verdict because both companies have great products fitted with amazing features.
A lot of times, you will find RM Williams boots to be better, and other times, boots from Crockett & Jones are better but for the sake of this article, I must not but pick one of the two. Therefore, I will choose RM Williams as a better brand.
Between both companies, RM Williams is more popular and in recent times, it has attained the status of being called a luxury brand.
You will find many Australian politicians wearing boots from this brand. Moreso, Australian prime ministers often give boots from this brand as a gift to foreign leaders.
While these do not necessarily make the boots better, you cannot dispute the fact that they would not be regarded highly if they were of inferior quality.
Why RM Williams is better
I consider RM Williams to be a better brand for many reasons, but what wowed me about this brand is how they can make the same type of shoe with different materials and style.
More variety and versatility
Take, for example, the RM Williams Craftsman Boot. Do you know that this particular product can be made with different soles?
Yes, the RM Williams brand has made the same Craftsman boot with three different soles; Classic leather sole, Dynamic flex sole, and Comfort sole.
The Classic leather sole was the first and original sole of the Craftsman boot. Developed by the first set of RM Williams employees in 1932, this sole has been used for many other boots produced by the company.
Excellent cushioning and support
The Dynamic flex sole is a combination of rubber and leather sole. It is fitted with an orthotic insole that provides superb cushioning and additional support.
It also comes with a shank that maintains the shape of the boot and supports the arch.
The Comfort Sole is made with a non-slip composition rubber that is perfect for everyday wearing. This sole, like the Dynamic flex sole, also comes with a fiberglass shank that maintains the shape of the boot and supports the arch.
RM Williams has the Craftsman boot in any of the three soles. You just go for the one that suits your need.
Just as you can get the RM Williams Craftsman boot in three different soles, you can also have it in a different leather.
The Craftsman boot comes in six (6) different leather versions. There is a Craftsman boot made from Yearling leather, French veal calf leather, European crust leather, Kangaroo leather, Tambark Kangaroo leather, and Suede leather.
The unique ability to recreate the same design using different materials is what I consider to give the RM Williams brand the upper hand against Crockett & Jones and any other boot-making companies.
Similarities between RM Williams and Crockett and Jones
If we consider the Crockett & Jones Chelsea 5 boot, we will see that it looks a lot like the RM Williams Craftsmen boot and shares similar features with it. Some of which are:
Handcrafted
Both companies creatively craft their boots by hand which makes the boots turn out to be unique.
The process of handcrafting may take a longer time but both brands understand that good things take time and hence, do not rush the process of making their products.
Boots from both companies are worth the price, hype, and wait.
Goodyear-Welt Construction
Another similarity both companies share is how they ensure every single boot undergoes a Goodyear-welt construction in order for the boots to possess great durability.
The Goodyear-welt ensures that a boot lasts longer, no matter how rigorous the activities it is used for are.
Water-resistant
Considering that boots are mostly worn during winter periods, it is imperative that these boots have, at least to a level, enough protection from the damages water can do.
That is why I am not surprised that both RM Williams and Crockett & Jones have made many of their boots to be water-resistant.
The RM Williams has a water-resistant sole while the Crockett & Jeans Chelsea 5 boot is made from rough-out suede which makes it water-resistant too.
Rubber Sole
This is one of the most obvious similarities between these two brands. The Comfort Craftsman is the best-selling Craftsman boot and it uses a rubber sole.
Also, the Crockett & Jones brand uses a dainite rubber sole as its main sole material for many of its products, including the Chelsea 5 boot.
Other differences between RM Williams and Crockett and Jones
Just as there are many similarities in the design, features, and materials of the products of these two companies, certain things distinctly set them apart.
Some of them are:
Leather
The kind of leather used in the production of the majority of the products of these two companies is actually different.
At Crockett & Jones, aniline tanned full-grain leather is mostly used. You will find that majority of the boots from this company come in this particular leather.
On the other hand, RM Williams has a wider range of leathers that it uses in its production.
The company uses Yearling leather which is very unique and peculiar to the brand alone as most boot makers usually opt for veal or steer leather.
Stitching
Generally, RM Williams uses a type of stitching called Tug Stitching. It is a kind of stitching drawn from the back, which then tugs down to the heel and encloses the single piece of leather, which then adds strength and durability to the boot.
Meanwhile, Crockett & Jones employs two different types of stitching; the raised butted stitching and the Skin Stitch.
The raised butted stitching is a kind of stitching where two raw edges of the leather are butted together, thereby allowing to fit in the apron stitch by stitch, producing a perfect curve.
The Skin stitch, however, is when you join two raw edges together by stitching through the corium of the upper leather. Both brands have found different types of stitching that give them the desired result.
Insoles
Another difference between these two brands is the type of insole put into the boots. RM Williams usually uses an orthotic insole, especially if the sole of the boot is a dynamic flex sole. On the other hand, Crockett & Jones does not adopt orthotic insoles.
Crockett and Jones rather use leather that was cut out from the leather bends used in the production of the boots.
Orthotic insoles are great to use because they provide superior comfort, cushioning, and support your feet need.
Sizing
In the sizing of the RM Williams Craftsman boot and the Crockett & Jones Chelsea 5 boot, you can get all the answers you need to the difference between these two brands.
RM Williams makes products that stay true to size. Even after you have worn the boots, there will be minimal movement of the boot and that is because of how the boot fits perfectly and hugs your feet rightly.
In other news, the Crockett and Jones Chelsea 5 boots run large. If you want to get the best out of this boot, you will need to order a size that is a full size or half smaller than your normal size.
In conclusion, I believe this article has introduced you to both brands and properly intimated you with the kind of features to expect when you get a boot made by any of them.
As much as I have chosen RM Williams to be a better brand, I need you to understand that it does not make Crockett and Jones an inferior brand. Both brands are insanely awesome in their own rights and country.
Let me know if you have any products from either brand.
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