RANCOURT & Co. Shoes - Made in Maine



FrankCowperwood said:

^Right. And as you point out, the sizing is affected by different factors. Style (tie vs. slip on, handsewn vs. Blake) and leather being the big ones. Maybe we aren't hearing from those who have been successful with the sizing chart, but it seems as if errs on the small side to the extreme. Not sure my Rancourt is so insistent that it's a good tool.

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Wait...isn't the printable sizing chart on the Rancourt website just a paper version of a brannock? Sure looks like it to me and when I did it per instructions my size came out right at my brannock. BTW...just picked up these at the sale. Very nice in hand.

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/Ranco...pd.html?dwvar_MH00186_Color=BRWN&contentpos=7

Those look great. I kind of like that stacked wedge sole.

In re the sizing guide, it may well be a paper Brannock device. Glad to hear it worked for you. I imagine people might have trouble using a real Brannock to measure their own size. Maybe it is a matter of having someone help with it, which I think is suggested anyway.

jt2gt said:

Wait...isn't the printable sizing chart on the Rancourt website just a paper version of a brannock? Sure looks like it to me and when I did it per instructions my size came out right at my brannock. BTW...just picked up these at the sale. Very nice in hand.
http://www.brooksbrothers.com/Ranco...pd.html?dwvar_MH00186_Color=BRWN&contentpos=7

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Yea, I think the one on the website is just a paper version of the brannock. I pretty much measured the same as the brannock when using the print out. I had someone helping me. It wasn't exact as a paper printout really can't replace a heavy duty device, but it really seemed close.

jns425 said:

Yea, I think the one on the website is just a paper version of the brannock. I pretty much measured the same as the brannock when using the print out. I had someone helping me. It wasn't exact as a paper printout really can't replace a heavy duty device, but it really seemed close.

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I think you guys are doing it wrong. Compare the rancourt chart to the brannock: http://brannock.com/cgi-bin/start.cgi/brannock/charts.html.

A 10 on the rancourt sizing chart is just shy of 11". This is a size 11 on the brannock - a full size difference.

Puzzling, I would have suspected the opposite, as the rancourt seems to cause people to go a whole too small, not large.

As an additional point on sizing, let me make an observation about my camp mocs. The heel stitching that creates a horizontal line across the back is fairly robust and the pulled-together leather together is fairly straight, that is to say, almost perpendicular to the length of the shoe. Are you with me on that description? I don't know the technical terms to use.

What I've noticed is that after a while, as the CXL is shaped by the foot, that straight line of leather becomes contoured, thus adding to the length of the shoe as the heel of the foot is better able to slide into that cupped heel space. I would guess that the increase is at least between a quarter and a half size, and maybe more. My camp mocs have gone from initially feeling tight to feeling much better after 3 months of wear. The first adaptation was in the width around the midfoot, as it took on the shape of my foot. Now more recently I've noticed the aforementioned adaptation in length. So while some of us may have bought shoes that are in fact too small, some of us might just need to wait for them to improve their shape.



hhkb said:

The sizing chart was off for me. I've been struggling with some too small ranger mocs as a result. I was assured that the sizing chart was "the most accurate way to measure" by Rancourt. I wear an 11D typically (eg sperries) and am 11d on brannock. I measured as 10D/9.5E on the sizing chart, which is what I went with. My toes are quite squished and I should've gone with at least 10.5D. I'm still contemplating whether I should wait for them to stretch or pawn them off.
My OSB experience was quite the opposite with some cxl loafers. At 10.5D they fit well initially and stretched a ton after a couple days of wear (greater than half a size even) to the point of becoming unwearable. I gave up after a few months and sold them for cheap.
The shoes are absolutely gorgeous though. Just the sizing is a pita.

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They might not be too small. I am a 11D or 10.5E and I got my Quoddies in 10D. It's super painful for maybe 3 wears, then it's perfect molded fit. Should be the same in Rancourt as it's gonna be constructed the same

hhkb said:

I think you guys are doing it wrong. Compare the rancourt chart to the brannock: http://brannock.com/cgi-bin/start.cgi/brannock/charts.html.

A 10 on the rancourt sizing chart is just shy of 11". This is a size 11 on the brannock - a full size difference.

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I was taking a look at the sizing chart again and wonder if I'm doing it wrong. It looks like this

-------
9 ----
------- (size 10.5?)
10 ---- (size 10?)
-------

I assume that the line that points to '10' is size 10, just like on a brannock. But maybe that is actually a 10.5, and the 10 is for the line below it.

Bakes11771 said:

If you send them back to rancourt they can stretch them for you or re-last them. Not sure if you are already aware of that option, or if it is even an interest to you.

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I did get them stretched already by rancourt, I forgot to mention that. It made a slight improvement - probably the equivalent of increasing the width by a quarter/half size. But still feels too small.

stevent said:

They might not be too small. I am a 11D or 10.5E and I got my Quoddies in 10D. It's super painful for maybe 3 wears, then it's perfect molded fit. Should be the same in Rancourt as it's gonna be constructed the same

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You may be right. I was thinking the same when I ordered them sized down, esp. as unlined cxl. I may give them a few more wears and see how it goes. Thanks for the feedback!

Just placed 2 orders at Portland Dry Goods. Dustin was great. Super helpful.

4 eyelit ranger moc
-CXL Green
-Vibram christy wedge in white
-Nickel plated eyelits
-Grey laces

Beefroll penny loafer
-CXL Navy
-Tempest sole in natural
-White stiching

I found where my toe fit well in length. The D was really really tight on the sides, so I went up to an E - assuming that the E would likely be tight as well, but the CXL would stretch. Ordered the same size in both.

Pictures to follow in a few weeks...

Quick question though (and i'll probably call or email rancourt in a few days)...I'm gonna order shoe trees from them - the small is size 6.5E to 8D and the medium was 8EE to 10D. But would I do for an 8E? I'm guessing the small...

jns425 said:

Just placed 2 orders at Portland Dry Goods. Dustin was great. Super helpful.

4 eyelit ranger moc
-CXL Green
-Vibram christy wedge in white
-Nickel plated eyelits
-Grey laces

Beefroll penny loafer
-CXL Navy
-Tempest sole in natural
-White stiching

I found where my toe fit well in length. The D was really really tight on the sides, so I went up to an E - assuming that the E would likely be tight as well, but the CXL would stretch. Ordered the same size in both.

Pictures to follow in a few weeks...

Quick question though (and i'll probably call or email rancourt in a few days)...I'm gonna order shoe trees from them - the small is size 6.5E to 8D and the medium was 8EE to 10D. But would I do for an 8E? I'm guessing the small...

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I like your flavor neighbor! (especially on the Navy Blue)

I'd be reluctant to put trees in CXL. Wouldn't want them to stretch excessively. (admittedly, I've never done it, so can't speak from experience)

If I wear a 10.5E in AE Waldens should I go for the same size in Beefroll loafer in cxl or should I size down? The Rancourt rep didn't seem very confident.

I've put shoe trees in my CXL pinch pennies and I don't think it stretches them particularly. I don't leave them in very long though since I don't have a dedicated pair of trees for these shoes (figure they are too casual to worry about too much). I think an occasional treeing helps them regain their shape, front to back, a little.

I'm not familiar with how AE Waldens fit. Are they supposed to be TTS?

And when you say size down, do you mean go 10E or 10.5D?

I don't think I'd recommend a size 10. My feeling is that these Rancourt lasts aren't very long. They fit so that your toe is right up in the front of the shoe and it's the overall flexibility of the hand sewing and leather that makes them so comfortable. So, I think if 10.5E in AE fits well, then maybe you want to go 10.5D to take into account CXL's give.

I mentioned earlier in this thread that I no longer put trees in my Venetians that I picked up at Brooks Brothers. I think they may have stretched the shoe out a little too much and I don't want anymore stretching. I just stick the paper that was stuffed in them when I bought them.



hhkb said:

I think you guys are doing it wrong. Compare the rancourt chart to the brannock: http://brannock.com/cgi-bin/start.cgi/brannock/charts.html.

A 10 on the rancourt sizing chart is just shy of 11". This is a size 11 on the brannock - a full size difference.

Click to expand...

Yep...just compared the two and that is what I get. So while it may look like a printable brannock (and I thought it was), the Rancourt chart is not. According to my comparison, I came up with the same as hhkb...so an 8 on the rancourt is jut shy of a 9 on the Brannock and so forth.