The Erica boot

While the best-selling R.M.Williams Craftsman boot is loved and worn by men and women, there has been one small hurdle – the fits are sometimes too wide for petite feet unless they’re Made to Order.

In 2015, the Adelaide boot arrived to help fill the gap by offering a true D fitting. Featuring the Craftsman’s same black, chestnut or tan yearling upper fused with practicality and strength, the Adelaide’s refined toe shape and tapered flat heel had a sleeker, more feminine profile. It became an instant icon, but there was one prominent feature missing – where was the world-famous chisel toe?

Say hello to stable newcomer Erica.

Named after a tiny timber town that marks the gateway to Victoria’s High Country, Erica is based on the same last and fitting as the Adelaide, with the addition of a subtle wedge toe tapering to a slender silhouette. The workshop has taken it one step further by adding a cushioned insole and rubber sole, making Erica a true women’s version of the most popular boot in the R.M.Williams stable – the Comfort Craftsman.

‘It’s a slimmer version with really good proportions; the sizing and fit is perfectly aligned to the women’s market, but it’s got that same style and versatility as the Comfort Craftsman,’ says R.M.Williams Head of Footwear Development, David Cook. ‘It’s suitable for casual, everyday wear or more formal occasions, with broad appeal across multiple generations.’

It’s not the first time that R.M.Williams has done a distinctly feminine take on a design stalwart. When the Lady Yearling boot was introduced as a more refined version of the Yearling, demand for the narrow round toe, height-enhancing 4.5cm block heel and slightly taller shaft was unprecedented.

‘The Lady Yearling is now our top-selling women's boot, but it’s also our second biggest seller overall behind the Comfort Craftsman, and that’s purely since we started making it in a true ladies profile,’ David Cook says. ‘We’re quietly confident that Erica will walk a similar path.’

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