hardline_42
Member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2010
- Messages
- 24
- Reaction score
- 1
First off, I'm a fan of the Bean Blucher. I think it's a good looking shoe, even though the current version doesn't really match the original in both style and construction. Having never owned one of the original Made-in-Maine bluchers, I was swayed by the good looks of LLB Signature's Eastport Handsewn Blucher Moc.
I bought this shoe over a year ago and wore it pretty hard since then. It's probably my most versatile casual shoe. So, naturally, I was pretty bummed when it started failing on me. The moc stitching on the toe started loosening up and now I get kernel-sized pebbles in my shoe coming through the gap in the upper. The poor quality polyester laces are all kinked and worn with the white core peeking out every few inches. Once the novelty was gone, I started to notice that Bean's square toes really bother me. And that the leather is thin, but surprisingly stiff and plasticky. And they're made in El Salvador. If only I could have the same shoe with all of those annoying flaws fixed. Enter Kyle Rancourt and Rancourt & Co. shoes.
I contacted him via email with the hopes that I could get a replica of the Bean signature blucher, only better. Kyle was patient, answered all of my questions, sent me pictures of hides, explained the leather options and allowed me to custom-build my bluchers with whatever components I wanted. I gave him the measurements of my feet and he checked them against their lasts (I went down a half size from normal). I placed the order and, one week later, the bluchers shipped.
I couldn't help but compare them to my old LLB bluchers.
Toe profiles:
Insoles:
Notice the thickness of the leather on the Rancourts, and yet they are much more supple:
Heel counters. Again, notice the difference in thickness:
Pull-up leather on the LLB. Notice the complete disappearance of the grain:
Pull-up on the Rancourts is much less severe and yet retains it's supple, oil-finish:
Close up of the leathers. The plasticky sheen is still visible on the LLBs even after a year of constant wear:
The Rancourts have yet to prove themselves, but they feel great. The leather is very supple (almost like Townview leather mocs) but not completely unconstructed. The rawhide laces are definitely a step up from the polyester boot laces. They run the slightest bit narrow, but so did the LLBs when I got them. I expect the Rancourts to mold closely to my feet in a short time.
When it comes to Made in USA bluchers, I know Rancourt isn't the only game in town. But they were cheaper than Quoddy and Oak Street, have excellent customer service, a wide selection of customizable options and a ridiculously fast turnaround time. I would recommend these to anyone who's looking for a bit more from a casual moc than what Bean, Eastport et al have to offer.
I bought this shoe over a year ago and wore it pretty hard since then. It's probably my most versatile casual shoe. So, naturally, I was pretty bummed when it started failing on me. The moc stitching on the toe started loosening up and now I get kernel-sized pebbles in my shoe coming through the gap in the upper. The poor quality polyester laces are all kinked and worn with the white core peeking out every few inches. Once the novelty was gone, I started to notice that Bean's square toes really bother me. And that the leather is thin, but surprisingly stiff and plasticky. And they're made in El Salvador. If only I could have the same shoe with all of those annoying flaws fixed. Enter Kyle Rancourt and Rancourt & Co. shoes.
I contacted him via email with the hopes that I could get a replica of the Bean signature blucher, only better. Kyle was patient, answered all of my questions, sent me pictures of hides, explained the leather options and allowed me to custom-build my bluchers with whatever components I wanted. I gave him the measurements of my feet and he checked them against their lasts (I went down a half size from normal). I placed the order and, one week later, the bluchers shipped.
I couldn't help but compare them to my old LLB bluchers.
Toe profiles:
Insoles:
Notice the thickness of the leather on the Rancourts, and yet they are much more supple:
Heel counters. Again, notice the difference in thickness:
Pull-up leather on the LLB. Notice the complete disappearance of the grain:
Pull-up on the Rancourts is much less severe and yet retains it's supple, oil-finish:
Close up of the leathers. The plasticky sheen is still visible on the LLBs even after a year of constant wear:
The Rancourts have yet to prove themselves, but they feel great. The leather is very supple (almost like Townview leather mocs) but not completely unconstructed. The rawhide laces are definitely a step up from the polyester boot laces. They run the slightest bit narrow, but so did the LLBs when I got them. I expect the Rancourts to mold closely to my feet in a short time.
When it comes to Made in USA bluchers, I know Rancourt isn't the only game in town. But they were cheaper than Quoddy and Oak Street, have excellent customer service, a wide selection of customizable options and a ridiculously fast turnaround time. I would recommend these to anyone who's looking for a bit more from a casual moc than what Bean, Eastport et al have to offer.
