Rancourt and Company, Made in Maine

Perfecting the Craft of Hand-Sewn Shoes

Located halfway between Maine’s state capital of Augusta and the state’s most populous city of Portland lies Lewiston, Maine. The state’s second largest city was at the center of a shoe manufacturing boom in the early 1900s. However, through the years, as smaller businesses became acquired by larger companies and as manufacturing was taken overseas, most of these original companies dwindled out of existence. Today, only a handful of shoe manufacturers remain in Lewiston, including Quoddy and Rancourt and Company. Through the power of the Internet and direct sales to the consumer, not all is lost as a resurgence for American-made quality products has come to light and discerning customers are now able to directly purchase these goods they sought after.

Rancourt and Company was founded in 2008 by Michael and Kyle Rancourt, a father and son duo who have been in the shoe-making business their entire lives. Both were born into the industry with shoe manufacturing in their DNA. Prior to launching their own factory and brand with their namesake, the Rancourts’ roots in footwear began during the manufacturing boom in New England, where hand-sewn shoes are what Maine came to be known for.

“In the mid-20th century, it was the biggest shoe-making area in the country,” Kyle Rancourt says. “It was the biggest industry.”

Michael’s father, David, had emigrated from Canada to Lewiston as a young boy, at a time when the shoe industry was thriving in Maine. He cut his teeth learning the skills necessary to create a shoe from the ground up, including how to sew shoes by hand. Over time he became the foreman of the factory where he worked and eventually took over the business. In the late ’70s, David had decided to close the factory, which he had taken over, to start a new project with his son, Michael. By the ’80s, they had started to make their own shoes, including loafers, boat shoes, and camp moccasins.

The business at the time was mainly creating private label shoes for other brands with their largest client being Cole Haan, who was originally from Maine. By the late ’80s, David had decided to retire after selling his share of the company to Cole Haan and pass the reigns to his son. Michael eventually sold his shares, as well, and started his own company in 1992.

Like previously, this company also began with a focus on private labeling, but Michael had always envisioned creating his own brand. His largest client, Allen Edmunds, was a large company and offered to buy his business. This postponed his dream as he took an internal position within Allen Edmunds. After 13 years of working for Allen Edmunds, and after finding out that the company would be closing down their Lewiston factory, Michael decided it was time to finally start his own brand.

Rather than close the Allen Edmunds factory where many talented and skilled people would have lost their jobs, Michael and his son, Kyle, decided to purchase the factory back from Allen Edmunds to start Rancourt and Company in 2009. Their business model would adapt to fit the modern world by taking the beauty and tradition of the hand-sewn shoe making process and combining it with e-commerce and social media to reach a worldwide customer online.

Kyle is the third generation Rancourt in the footwear business. He was in his early twenties and had recently graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when his dad decided to purchase the factory and partner with his son. Kyle spent a lot of his childhood in the factory and had always worked in the office or the factory doing odd jobs. He also had worked for Allen Edmunds, yet he also strived to go into business for himself, and a partnership with his father made perfect sense.

“… they spent $200 to build their first machine made with junk parts, including the heating elements from an old dishwasher and the intake manifold from Dave’s Datsun 240Z.”

Having to evolve with technology, and rather than deal with the shortcomings of a traditional retail business, the direct-to-consumer model would prove to be the solution. Like many businesses, the Rancourts had to adapt and face challenges along the way. Developing new product would be a constant work in progress, as they were used to the private label model. Creating shoes from scratch requires more steps in the process from the design to the development with multiple workers involved, including a pattern maker, product engineer, and others.

Ten years into the business, Rancourt continues to make the traditional styles of footwear that placed Maine on the map, including loafers, camp mocs, boat shoes, and ranger mocs. They have perfected the craft of hand-sewn shoes. Through the years, they have expanded their footwear offerings to include boots, dress shoes and finally, sneakers, and driving mocs.

The new generation of Rancourts saw opportunity and took a hold of it.

“When we started making sneakers no one was making sneakers in the United States,” Kyle says. “When we started making driving mocs, no one was making driving mocs in the United States. So, we’ve had to learn these construction methods and sort of develop quality standards for new types of shoes that nobody’s ever done before.”

“They continued to grow the product offerings with their rotational molding ovens, which provided more complex designs that were strong and lightweight.”

There’s a sense of pride as you visit their showroom and factory. Skilled workers diligently go through the paces to create a shoe. It’s not a fast process, but rather a craft and labor of love. These workers come from a long line of shoemakers having the knowledge and skill set passed down through the generations to hone their craft. Everything is still made in the original factory from the initial designs to the manufacturing. This is what separates Rancourt and Company from the big brands.

“I think a big key to our brand and our success is being made in the U.S., and especially made in Maine,” Kyle says. “If you look at our products, we don’t just say ‘Made in USA.’ It always says, ‘Made in Maine, USA.’ We’re taking advantage of being made in Maine.”

Living in Maine has had a direct impact of their footwear designs. The extreme climate of both hot summers and frigid winters have given them a test bed for quality control. Their shoes must be able to breathe well in the summer months, be waterproof for the rain, and durable enough for the snow.

“If it works for us in Maine, it’s going to work anywhere,” Kyle says.

Today, Rancourt and Company is still involved in private label work, but the primary business is selling online and direct to consumer. Their shoes are only available in a small handful of retail locations by choice. One thing they offer consumers is the ability to customize their own pair of shoes, providing a way for customers to personalize and create something unique. The custom shoe configurator allows customers to select various materials, change the color of the laces, or even the color of the sole for some of the styles. Despite being a company with very traditional roots, they continue to innovate and adapt for the modern world, helping to bridge the gap between timeless construction and classic silhouettes to today’s fast-paced, digitally driven culture.

With Rancourt and Company continuing to thrive and innovate, the craft, skill, and tradition of creating footwear will be passed down from generation to generation, keeping the legacy and history of Maine alive.

Give yourself the gift of comfort and craftsmanship by visiting Rancourt and Company online at rancourtandcompany.com.

Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in the January/February 2020 print issue of Tread Magazine.