The Path We’ve Chosen: Introduction
In our Well-Worn Paths series, we’ve followed the journey of a shoe through our Lewiston workshop, tracing each step from leather selection to final finishing.
That journey showed how a shoe is made.
This next chapter turns to why that work still happens here.
It explores the path we’ve chosen as a company and the family history behind the benches, the city that shaped the craft, and the commitment that has kept our factory doors open in Lewiston, Maine for more than five decades.
Where It Started
Rancourt & Co. begins with a decision made in the early 1950s.
David Rancourt left his home in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and came to Lewiston, Maine to learn the trade of shoemaking. At the time, Lewiston was a hub of New England manufacturing, supported by skilled craftspeople and a deeply rooted footwear industry. It was a place where the knowledge of handsewn moccasin construction had already been practiced for generations.
By 1967, after years of apprenticeship and mastery, David opened his own factory producing handmade moccasins. It was the culmination of discipline, patience, and vision.
In 1970, his eldest son, Michael, joined the business. Together, father and son expanded the small moccasin shop into a fully developed shoe factory, producing luxury calfskin loafers for some of the finest brands in the world. The standards remained high. The construction remained rooted in Maine tradition.
The decades that followed brought change. Ownership shifted in the 1990s, though Michael remained at the helm. Then, in 2008, plans were announced to close the Lewiston operation entirely.
Rather than watch the tradition disappear, Michael and his son Kyle stepped forward. In 2009, they bought the factory back and launched Rancourt & Co., establishing a new father-and-son partnership determined to preserve handsewn shoemaking in Lewiston.
The path could have ended there. Instead, it continued.
What began as one man’s craft carried across the border from Sherbrooke to Lewiston has become a living legacy. Today, Rancourt stands as a company shaped by three generations of shoemakers, carrying forward a tradition that began in 1967 and continues, uninterrupted, more than 58 years later.
Why Lewiston
Lewiston is not simply where we operate. It is the foundation of what we do.
For more than a century, Maine has been home to a distinctive handsewn moccasin tradition. The skill required to wrap leather around a last by hand, stitch uppers with precision, and build flexible, durable footwear was developed and refined here. Generations built their livelihoods in these factories.
David Rancourt came to Lewiston because the craft lived here. We remain because it still does.
Our employees are our neighbors. Their families live here. Our families live here. The local economy, schools, and small businesses are intertwined with our work. Producing footwear in Lewiston means sustaining skilled jobs and honoring the manufacturing history that shaped this city.
Every pair of Rancourt & Co. footwear is made in our factory in Lewiston, Maine, USA. That is not a slogan. It is a commitment.
Marking the Moment
Each year, we pause to mark this continuity in a tangible way. Not as a promotion, but as a moment of gratitude—for the people who make this work possible, and for the customers who have chosen to walk alongside us.
This once-a-year anniversary marks another mile on the same path we’ve stayed true to since 1967.
The Shoes That Defined the Early Years
In the late 1960s, soft-sole moccasins and classic Venetian loafers defined the early identity of the factory. Handmade construction resonated during that era, and these shoes established a reputation for authenticity and quality.
The 1967 Venetian remains one of the clearest links to our beginnings.
It reflects the traditional Maine handsewn construction that launched the business. It embodies the materials and methods David worked with in those early years. Its simplicity is intentional. Its comfort is earned through skilled handwork.
What makes the 1967 Venetian special is continuity. It is still produced in Lewiston, using the same foundational techniques that defined its earliest production. Few companies can point to a single model and trace it directly back to their founding year—built in the same city, within the same tradition.
Today, that legacy continues as the 1967 Venetian marks another year of the path we’ve chosen.
To further mark this anniversary, a limited selection of foundational styles is available as part of our Anniversary Collection. Explore the Anniversary Collection
The Path Continues
The Path We’ve Chosen is only the beginning of this next chapter in the Well-Worn Paths series.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll turn our focus to the people behind the process—the hands at the benches, the lives built around this work, and the community that continues to carry shoemaking forward in Lewiston.
Because a company, like a shoe, is built piece by piece.
And the path we’ve chosen is still unfolding—right here in Lewiston.
