Blog

Mike on the Stitchdown Shoecast For nearly sixty years, we've been making handsewn shoes in Lewiston, Maine. Three generations, the same craft, cut and stitched by hand in our factory. Mike sat down with Ben Robinson of Stitchdown for a conversation about how we got here. Maine's shoemaking history, the handsewn moccasin process, and the community that kept this kind of work alive through the offshoring years. A Conversation with the Craft in the Background Listen closely and you'll hear it. Throughout the conversation, one of our shoemakers can be heard handsewing a moccasin in the background. Not a studio...

Well-Worn Paths — Chapter 13 Purposefully Designed and Crafted Some materials are too good to leave on a shelf. Over the years, we have come across leathers and soles that are no longer in production, or exist only in what remains of a run. They meet every standard we hold for our main line. The grain is right. The weight is right. The way they will wear over time is exactly what we look for. The only thing they lack is a permanent place in our collection. The Dirigo Collection exists because we refuse to let those materials go to waste....

Well Worn Paths Chapter 12 Heritage Is The Story. Made In America Is The Proof Throughout our Well-Worn Paths series, we've traced the journey of a shoe from raw material to finished footwear. This chapter steps back further;  the people, the place, and the principles that have guided our family for nearly six decades. This year, America celebrates its 250th anniversary. Across the country, there will be flags, fireworks, and moments of reflection on the people and places that shaped our nation's history. For us, the celebration feels a little different. We don't mark history with speeches or ceremonies. We...

Well Worn Paths Chapter 11 THE VALUES WE CARRY FORWARD Throughout our Well-Worn Paths series, we've explored the journey behind every pair of Rancourt shoes. We've followed the leather from the tannery, watched skilled hands bring each shoe to life, and celebrated the craftspeople whose dedication has preserved Maine's shoemaking tradition for generations. But every path has a beginning. Long before the workshop, before the handsewing benches, and before the family business became what it is today, there were lessons passed from one generation to the next. Lessons about hard work, integrity, treating people with respect, and taking pride in...