Rancourt and Company
Rancourt & Company is a US-based shoe manufacturer owned by Michael Rancourt. The company was formerly owned by Allen Edmonds, until it was bought back by its previous owners, the Rancourt family. Their website claims that their history in the shoemaking business goes back to 1964.
Rancourt makes primarily made-to-order handsewn shoes and boots. This includes boat shoes, camp-mocs, penny loafers, venetian loafers, tassel loafers, ranger mocs, and both moc-toe and plain-toe boots and chukkas. They offer a variety of leathers at different prices, including many Horween options, such as the popular Chromexcel and Shell Cordovan.
Rancourt has one of the most helpful and comprehensive websites of any made in USA brand. Kyle Rancourt has also done an AMA on Reddit.
All of their shoes are made in Lewiston, Maine.
Contents
Subjective: Style and Quality
The style of Rancourt & Company's shoes can easily work with a menswear style or a heritage style, but a conservative choice of handsewn, like a brown boat shoe or a black penny loafer, can bring accusations of "dadcore". On the bright side, their shoes might make an excellent gift for your dad.
The quality of construction is very good, though finishing and attention to detail is somewhat lacking.
When choosing a leather, this editor recommends the standard choice, Chromexcel. This is the second most famous of Horween's leathers (behind the considerably more expensive Shell Cordovan). It is commonly used for handsewn shoes.
Opinions
[[user:Hip$ster|hip$ster]
I added this section because of a disagreement between two editors over Rancourt's quality. In my opinion, the brand is most comparable to made in the USA brands like Oak Street Bootmakers. From this perspective, Rancourt does a very comparable shoe, and the roughness of the overall look is not only normal but also part of the appeal. This isn't the same opinion you might have if you're comparing them to Allen Edmonds, where in comparison Rancourt's shoes look like they haven't been made with quite the same attention to detail and finishing, as noted above. I don't see it that way; I think Rancourt does a great job at making the kinds of shoes they make, which is a different aesthetic. From the perspective of a more sartorial style, Rancourt's shoes will fall short of the competition in a few important aspects. I don't think this should be a knock against the brand, but that's because I'd be looking for different things in a shoe, I think.
Sysna
Sysna is the other editor, and this section will be left for him to enter his angle on the brand.
Information
Understanding the Trinity
Grandfather Rancourt worked for Quoddy and was a shoemaker. He begat Michael Rancourt.
Michael Rancourt is the owner of Rancourt & Company and has a monotone voice that you can hear in their promotional videos on Vimeo. He begat Kyle Rancourt.
Kyle Rancourt is the public relations for Rancourt & Company on the internet. He is not very good at choosing the right there/their/they're, and likes saying rude things about competitors on Reddit.
Trying to attach that link to the text is spitting out errors for me and I can't make it work.
Sizing
The fit is generally true-to-size. You can email them for information about sizing relative to some other brands; their history with Allen Edmonds means they have a good sense of how their lasts compare to Allen Edmonds lasts, so if you know your size in Allen Edmonds you should know your size in Rancourt.
Custom Orders
If you order by email, you can specify a different color or type of leather for any given style, or a different sole. Officially there is supposed to be an online customization tool coming soon, but when that is is uncertain. The fee for custom orders is $50, and this seems to be regardless of how many changes you make to a given stock model.
Stockists
Rancourt makes handsewns for Red Wing Handsewn, Eastland Made in Maine, and a few other brands.
Club Monaco carries a small selection of Rancourt shoes, and Need Supply currently carries two styles (as of 26/05/2013). There may be other stockists not mentioned here.
Price
Rancourt's prices are very similar to Quoddy's and less expensive than Oak Street Bootmakers, making them one of the less expensive varieties of made in the USA handsewn shoes.
/fa/'s Opinion
Rancourt & Co. is not unheard of on /fa/, but it is seldom talked about or worn by posters. When I have seen their penny loafers posted, they are sometimes called dadcore, but not always. Opinions are mixed but mostly pretty neutral. A small handful of posters are fans.
Comparable Brands
Quoddy, Oak Street Bootmakers and Yuketen all make comparable shoes using similar materials and construction techniques.
