RANCOURT & Co. Shoes - Made in Maine

[Aenonymous]

I believe the Gilman Camp Moc is Rancourt's best selling model!

It's the Beefroll, unless things have changed dramatically in the last few years.

 

[pags94]

Hi all! I have a very interesting pair of Rancourt boat shoes in 9D I unfortunately need to move on. Started life as Dirigo on camp sole but I had Rancourt resole these to a LH Lug Sole. Very positive experience with the resole as they were willing to accommodate my request to resole these with a premium sole, adding a midsole in the process. Leather is Navy/Blue Unlined Horween Cavalier. Had these and a pair of OG Acadia Chukkas in Tan/Khaki Suede (which I loved but also sold), but I'm finding that even unlined I realistically need a 9.5D these days. I also find that Rancourt's toe box has more of a taper to it than Quoddy's, which has a tendency to squeeze my little toe. Would love for these to find a good home so if anyone here is interested please feel free to reach out for a forum discount.

Rancourt Boat Shoe LH Lug

Navy/Blue Unlined Horween Cavalier Boat Shoes. Resoled by Rancourt to Lactae Hevea Lug Sole. Worn approximately 5 times since resole.

www.styleforum.net

 

[SpallaPerfetta]

I ordered beefrolls via the summer pre sale but I can’t remember when the estimated completion is supposed to be. Does November sound right?

 

[Fenners81]

Thought I'd showcase an alternative Rancourt product today.

 

[Franky]

How do you suggest to size the shell loafers? I am a 7.5E/EE in Alden Barrie.

Tried 7.5 E in the try on program and 8E. I couldn’t even put on the 7.5E. The 8E slipped on with good tightness but my longest toe was 1/4 inch away from the front of the shoe. Size up?

 

[DG123]

How do you suggest to size the shell loafers? I am a 7.5E/EE in Alden Barrie.

Tried 7.5 E in the try on program and 8E. I couldn’t even put on the 7.5E. The 8E slipped on with good tightness but my longest toe was 1/4 inch away from the front of the shoe. Size up?

What do you mean by "7.5E/EE in Alden Barrie"? (in an Alden Barrie lasted shoe is 7.5E or 7.5EE your proper fit?)
Which Rancourt shoe model did you try on ?

 

[DG123]

From the July pre-sale (crowd fund) I ordered a pair of Pinch Penny loafers and have received shipping notification. So, that is approximately 9 weeks from date of order to receipt. Excellent service!

 

[halfnhalfnhalf]

Blake Chukka, Color 8 CXL

 

[FatTuesday]

Blake Chukka, Color 8 CXL

View attachment 2042267

That was quite a hibernation! Welcome back!

 

[Blue_Bowtie]

After living in Read boat shoes all summer long, I broke out my Byron boots today.

 

[Commisar]

I have been drooling over a 3 eyed Read in shell for several years.
I do have a couple of Quoddy boat shoes. Theirs are 3 eyed and always lined but their soles are stiff kinda like the Vibram mini-lug. Nice profile, but stiff.

I also have a pair of Quoddy boat shoes and find them to be an interesting contrast to Rancourt Reads. Quoddy uses Siedel leather and man at least in my shoes the spec it SOFT. Unlined with a full length poron and leather sockliner. No real arch support to speak of, unlike the bit that Rancourt gives you.

The last is, to my feet, a bit wider and the 3 eyelets let you snug up the vamp a little bit more.

I'm looking at their Blucher shoe in Mushroom suede as an MTO. Those things are ridiculously soft and are so unstructured you can bend them nose touching heel with your hand.

Weltline Penny Loafer in dark brown calf. View attachment 1968761

Wow very handsome

I have relatively narrow heels. The Eastports in Bulldog leather were a dream for me because they were very tight out of the box. After a few wears, the leather molded into a perfect fit. I also wear the 800 lasted shoes like the Ranger Moc and Gilman, which also fit really well.

Rancourt's use of calf in the 114 runs slightly roomier (especially in the heel) -- a little bit like the CXL Beefrolls heel fit. I have tried two calf Rancourts (the Weltline and a special order Stitch Down) in the 114 and both ran a little large in the heel. So, my conclusion is that the difference in the heel is probably due to the calf leather being less pliable to work with during the lasting process. I surmise that the calf cannot be stretched as tightly around the last.

It's the kind of thing you need to try on because it really comes down to the size of your heel. A lot of people would like the extra room in the heel. I would recommend trying your brannock size to see if they work for you. I would not necessarily size down because the rest of the shoe fits well.

Hmm interesting. Also, it seems that unless your Rancourt loafer is unlined CXL, they say to TTA brannock aka your "normal Rancourt size"

I'm quite interested in this loafer as I don't actually own a calfskin loafer at the moment.

Got my hands on my boat shoes yesterday so I decided to snap a pic of my Rancourt collection. Not sure if it was intentional, but a little disappointed I didn't get shoe bags with them. Been eyeing a pair of Horsebits but I'm not sure how much use I'd get out of them. Yes, I live in loafers. View attachment 1981109

Brave man putting shoe trees in unlined CXL 😜 some say that looking at CXL wrong makes it stretch 2 sizes bigger than when it was lasted 😂

What I've written is the traditional method of proper fitting. The ball is the widest part of the foot, so if that area is not snug , obviously the fit will be too loose and sloppy. For western boot (or any non lace footwear) fitting to the ball is especially crucial (because there are no laces to secure or compensate for an otherwise loose fit) . This traditional method only works if the brand (s) offer multiple width sizing which decades ago was common but now is somewhat rare. Best of all is A, B, C, D, EE, EEE, EEEEE width availability, but those days are long gone. To Rancourt's credit the company does offer a few widths in most of the company's styles.
I've worked in the footwear industry including factories, wholesale and retail. As the USA production moved overseas, and retailing changed from independents to chain stores, proper fitting became history and I guess the majority of current consumers have never worn truly proper fitting shoes or boots. That said, some consumers actually like to wear ill fitting shoes or boots. For example the Alden Store in SF routinely sells expensive shoes and boots to soccer playing tourists who measure a size 10 but are accustomed to cramming their feet into size 8. And unlike American companies, European brands have for the most part never offered much in the way of width sizing, which makes proper fitting hard to do. Lasts are designed to give the footwear a particular shape-profile-appearance more so than for fitting purposes. Orthopedic Lasts are a unique category in that they are designed exclusively for fitting purposes, however mainstream footwear is not produced on orthopedic Lasts because consumers find the shoes/boots too bulbous, unattractive.

What a shame. I cannot imagine the hell my feet would be on with shoes one let alone two sizes too small. Even a half size too small in some Iron Rangers wasn't fun.

I have several pairs of Quoddy bluchers and 3 hole boats. I also have several Rancourt Rangers and Read Boats. The Rancourts fit more generous as in they are wider. My size is 11 Narrow. Rancourt does a B and Quoddy does a C. The Quoddys size smaller in my opinion. My Rancourt upper quarters usually touch while the Quoddys are always about 1/2" apart, or perfect. I have to wear socks in my Rangers and Read Boats to keep them snug. I can go barefoot in the Quoddys. Quoddy uses a different last. I think it it is a more narrow last.

I am not sure if this is of much help to you, but it is real live experience.

I've done side by sides with Quddoy and Rancourt shoes and the Quoddy "Boat shoes and blucher shoe" last looks and feels a tiny bit wider than the 114 last and the 800 last, at least on D width.

Rancourt x Huckberry The Coggins 'Sawtooth' Shoe in Horween natural cxl for today. These are my weekend comfort shoes. US13 in D width on 800 last but since its CXL they are very comfortable.
View attachment 1991069

I had a pair and they are really unique. Sold em as I only wore them 3x in 2 months 😆

"Order your normal Rancourt size" generally means order your brannock size unless they advise you to size down in the product description like they do on the CXL beefroll loafers. They do not advise you to size down on the bit loafers.

However, in my personal experience, the 114 is a little tricky in calf. I never tried the bit loafers, but have tried the weltline and something they call a stitchdown -- all are all calf and on the 114 last. I find the 114 to be TTS but a little wide for me in the heels (my heels are on the narrow side even in many AE lasts). Nevertheless, I would advise people to try their brannock size in the first instance.

That's probably because lined calf/cowhide and shell in general don't mold/stretch to the feet nearly as much as unliked CXL.

I got a 9.5 D (TTS) and a 9 D for my Penny loafer in Natural CXL and the 9.5 D felt roomy the moment I put it on, plus it was bowing at rest in 9.5 D.

Yep that's them! Couldn't agree more about Rancourt shell as a whole. When it comes to working with Shell they are just masters of the craft and work with it so much better than any of the other makers in there price range(i.e Alden, AE, C&J). Case in point my (other) pair of reverse shell Chukkas from them I decided to throw on today. So many little details they put into making this pair I don't think anyone else in that sub $1k price range would have ever accommodated.


View attachment 1996995

Wow those look awesome 👍

6 years on these caramels and the color evolution has been great. They have unquestionably darkened and reddened way beyond their original light tan (with weird pink tones in some light) and the brass hardware and stitching has become really pronounced as a result.

Sun shots post cordovan cream and brushing:

Shade:

It's also crazy to me that this pair, along with my espresso pinch pennies, show so little shell rolls after years of use. I wear them a few times per week in the summer, roll 'em up, and then it's like the rolls actually stretch out from sitting with shoes trees inserted. I've never seen anything like it.

Best boat shoes ever.

Talk about some stunning shell Boat shoes.

First it was the large box. Then it was the leather coaster. Then it was the shoe horn. Now it's the shoe bags. What's next? No laces?

All of my Rancourts besides my on sale Pinch Pennies this April came with bags. I actually had Rancourt send me free boot bags after they recrafted my Harrison boots due to an off center sole. When those came back no bags but 6 coasters came along.

I own both shell and CXL loafers/mocs/slip-ons and I can't say that I prefer one over the other. I love both materials, I find them both to be extremely comfortable both lined and unlined, and both respond very well to reconditioning when needed.

Shell just doesn't stretch as much. Or at all, really. But the way that it molds to the foot makes for an extremely comfortable shoe that gets even more comfortable as the sole breaks in.

It may not look like it in the pics, but those boats are as formed to my feet as it gets. It's due to the roll-defying nature of whatever it is about Rancourt's shell that looks almost new after time with shoe trees.

My pinch pennies do the same thing. I wore them every other day for a month straight for a Reddit challenge once, and they went from pretty worn-looking to laughably pristine after scrubbing, brushing and a few days with trees inserted.

Before:

After:

It's crazy stuff.

Ok that settles it I'll be getting some shell Rancourt loafers eventually. I take it these were tts and seem to be unlined?

The Alden universe has awful SEO and social media game. I suspect because most Alden shops are run by older people. Madison has been stepping it up on Instagram and Facebook and ShoeMart obviously has a good web presence. But generally, if you don’t go directly to most Alden stockist websites you won’t find their stuff on Google or Bing.

In comparison, the Viberg stockists are all hip kids with strong web games, and you’ll hit all their sites just searching ‘boot’. It’s an interesting little culture contrast.

I mostly wear Aldens.

Nick's boots also "got good" at online marketing/brand engagement a few years ago and it seems.to have massively paid off.

 

[SpallaPerfetta]

Anyone own Rancourts in their “dark brown calf” leather? Would love to see some photos of the color in the wild.

 

[SpallaPerfetta]

Does anyone have photos of Rancourt’s espresso shell in the wild?

 

[DG123]

These photos are pulled from this thread. For more search this thread using the word espresso.

 

[FatTuesday]

^^^The loafers are mine.