How far would you go for a good pair of shoes? And, perhaps more pertinently, how far will they take you? In the case of R.M.Williams’ signature Craftsman Chelsea boots, to the ends of the Earth. Or, at least, the Australian Outback.

You see, to begin to understand the brand, it pays to first put yourself in its founder’s shoes. Born in 1908, Mr Reginald Murray Williams lived his first decade in North Belalie, a far-flung rural community in South Australia, where his father was a pioneer settler, scratching out a living tending horses.

The family later uprooted, moving more than 200km to Adelaide with the promise of an education for the 10-year-old boy and his two sisters. But city life was not for him; at the first opportunity, the young adventurer packed his swag bag and returned to the land. “Life, as I came to know it, revolved round feeding the horses, preparing them for work and making the implements they were to haul,” he later said of this time, although, truth be told, he always had an eye for his next opportunity.

He took on jobs where he could, earning a living as a lime burner, labourer and, later, as a prospector, with some success. By the time he turned 18, Mr Williams had found work as a camel driver and spent three years trekking through the desert, picking up survival tips from the indigenous people he encountered.

But these weren’t the only skills he acquired. Legend has it he learnt how to make bridles, pack saddles and riding boots from a man known as “Dollar Mick” when their paths briefly crossed in the Flinders Ranges, the largest mountains in the state. An inauspicious origin story, maybe, but it was clear from the start that Mr Williams had an innate gift for leatherwork.

True to his earlier affinity with horses, he began making and selling saddles out of a small set up in his dad’s shed back home. But it was his boots that would make his name. Built to withstand some of the most unforgiving landscapes on the planet, they went on to be seen on some of its well-heeled feet. The footwear of bushmen and presidents – President Bill Clinton was inaugurated in a pair. And, while Mr Williams himself was unsuited to the big smoke, the footwear he made was more than up to the task of pounding the city streets.

Mr Williams has since passed his skills on, but his iconic boot, the Craftsman, is still handcrafted in an 80-step process from a single piece of fine-grain leather or suede. The premium-quality hides are specially selected to give the shoe toughness and durability, while remaining supple enough to be worn for many hours, across many miles, and still be comfortable. Function over form, perhaps, although we’ll admit this approach lends the boot a clean, timeless appeal.

“If you make something good, people will make a track to your door,” Mr Williams noted. For a pair of shoes that will go the distance, look no further.