Three generations of the Rancourt family have been making shoes in Maine since the mid-1960s. Over the years the company has made shoes for a variety of big American shoe companies, passing the hand-sewing skills down from generation to generation. Recently the company has moved into a new facility in Lewiston, Maine where, in addition to making shoes for a host of well respected brands, the Rancourts recently begun to more widely offer the shoes it makes under its own label, Rancourt & Co. To this end Rancourt just launched it’s own online shop where you can purchase the company’s fine handsewn shoes — everything from Horween shell cordovan beefroll penny loafers to traditional moccasin style leather shoes — direct from the makers in Maine.

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Yesterday the folks at New Balance launched the company’s new custom 574 program which allows you to take to the internet and create your own specially designed sneakers. Last week we tested out the system at the launch event here in New York and it worked like a snap. In fact it shockingly only took five days for the special 574s (which were sent compliments of New Balance) to show up straight from the New Balance plant in Norridgewock, Maine. In anticipation of the launch of the custom 574 program, New Balance even dispatched a guy named Jake Davis and some other guy named Sean Sullivan to Maine to document the custom make up process at the factory. You can basically design the entire shoe all the way down to the color of the big N and the custom embroidery on the back of each sneaker. The possibilities are endless. [New Balance Custom 574]

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Honest handsewn shoes for an honest price, that’s the way it is done at Wassookeag. The tiny company sells a selection of moccasins that are made by hand — one at a time — by proprietor Mark Wintle in the central Maine town of Dexter. “I have only officially been handsewing my own moccasins for about six months now,” he said. “However, I have been under the direct tutelage of my father who has been handsewing shoes for over 40 years and has been making moccasins for about 25 years.”

With the growing popularity of hand sewn American-made shoes, it seems like now is as good as time as ever to get into the shoe making business. “I recently quit my high tech career, moved back to Maine — where I grew up — to start my own business, making moccasins,” says Wintle. “I thoroughly enjoy working for myself and working beside my father every day.”

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Part at home dentistry instructional film and part Alone in the Wilderness, Dead River Rough Cut is a documentary about a couple of leathery guys living a backwoods existence away from the bothers of social interaction and the convenience (read: health standards) of modern life. The DVD was part of my ACL Twitter gift guide, but I thought it was worth expanding on a little for those that might have missed it.

The film documents a secluded and cracker barrel life in the Maine woods. Its an astonishing look at a different way of life. Dead River Rough Cut also has the honor of being the number one requested film at the Maine State Penitentiary — you can’t even make this shit up. Worth a look if you are into toothless roughnecks that spend their whole day hunting, slaughtering pigs and riding around on primitive snowmobiles. You can purchase the DVD here.

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Old Fish House, Kennebunkport, Maine

Club House, Kennebunk River, Kennebunkport, Maine

Canoe, Kennebunk River, Kennebunkport, Maine

Photos from the Detroit Publishing Company archive.

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A few weeks back I headed up north for a weekend of rest and relaxation amongst nature. The trip coincided with some seriously severe weather and as much rain as I have ever seen in New York City. The FDR turned into a few miles of standing water that must have been about two feet deep at some points. Not exactly what you want to drive through at five in the morning. Eventually we made it up to Maine most of the rain had all but subsided by the time we stopped in Kennebunk to visit the folks at Ramblers Way, the Maine-based clothing maker and the its Rambouillet sheep farm. The Maine farm produces a portion of the fine rambouillet wool that Ramblers Way eventually will have processed into fabric, organically dyed and then eventually sewn (in Fall River, mass.) into a line of super-fine worsted wool garments.

Ramblers Way was founded by Tom and Kate Chappell — the same people that started the Tom’s of Maine in 1970 — with the mission to produce a collection of wool apparel that is comfortable, natural and entirely sourced / produced in the United States. That’s how I was first introduced to the brand actually, through research on domestic manufactures for The American List.

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If this page of L.L. Bean’s 1939 catalog doesn’t inspire someone (hopefully Bean itself) to remake at least two of the three pairs of footwear pictured, I am going to be very disappointed. Requirements: 1. shoes must be made from Horween (Elk) leather (though I don’t think such a thing exists. Nick if you are out there chime in) and 2. must be handsewn in Maine. Anyone that does this, let me know and I will personally flog said boots until you sell at least 100 pairs.

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Portland, Maine is the perfect New England town. I sort of see it as a less crowded (and less crazy) version of Boston. All of that Yankee charm and none of the hassle. The town is especially attractive when you live in a place like New York (like me) and have to deal with the daily assault on your senses. What also makes Portland a viable home (in my mind) is its access to Barbour coats via the shop Barbour by David Wood. Because I don’t want to live in a town that doesn’t sell Barbour coats. I just don’t. Mail order be damned.

I’m only kidding about the availability of Barbour coats being a factor in where I live, but I’m not kidding about Barbour by David Wood being a great shop. The oilcloth-outpost is essentially a company store that stocks the full collection (something I have only seen on a few occasions), including the Barbour Beacon range designed by To Ki To. So if you are looking for a specific jacket you couldn’t find at other Barbour retailers, chances are Barbour by David Wood will have it. Now you know. Plus the staff is friendly and the shop’s location is about as perfect setting as any to buy outerwear for inclement weather. And Portland better watch out, I might get my Barbours together and migrate north. You’ve been warned. [Barbour by David Wood]

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The Pine Tree State is beckoning and I’ve heeded the call. I’m off to Maine to celebrate the day of my birth with a weekend of good food, relaxation and hopefully some proper fall weather. With Maine on the brain, I leave you with this two page spread from a 1939 L.L. Bean catalog that I recently acquired. Great to see how little has changed with regard to the iconic Bean Boots. Still as relevant today as they were seven decades ago. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you on the other side.

If you can’t read that, here’s the giant scan.

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I snuck over to the Rogues Gallery NYC showroom the other day to check out the new collection. When everyone wasn’t paying attention I snapped a few shots of the space and the some SS10 goodies. I really liked the washed knits that were on display, note to self buy washed knits when they hit stores. Just being in the showroom makes me feel like I’m in the company’s shop in Portland. The space is really well done, which is not really a surprise considering Rogues founder Alex Carleton’s taste. (RIP Men’s Vogue.)

In other news if you haven’t heard, friend of ACL and all around gentleman Aaron Levine has left his post as design director for Hickey to become the creative director of Rogues Gallery. This is a coup for the fellas at Rogues and I can’t wait to see what Aaron has in store for us.

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How can you improve on an iconic shoe? That is exactly what Mark McNairy was tasked with when creating his new co-labeled collection of Bass Weejuns. Obviously the shoes had to be made in Maine and from high quality materials like Horween Shell Cordovan and real alligator. And naturally the shoes had to have a twist. What Mr. McNairy (who is also the J. Press creative director and has his own English made shoe collection under his name) accomplished is nothing short of genius. Granted I’m biased, but there is not one pair of shoes in his collection that I don’t want to steal. When I first found out about the new collection I was so happy that Mark was going to be designing everything — I couldn’t think of a better man for the job. What is pictured below is about one fifth of the special Weejuns collection. (The full range will be at Capsule next week if you are a store and want to buy / see the line. The shoes hit retailers come SS10.)

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