A piece of New England will be on display on the feet of U.S. athletes one more time during the 2022 Winter Olympics’ closing ceremony this weekend.
On Sunday, boots made by Rancourt and Co. in Lewiston, Maine that were produced for Ralph Lauren, will be worn by Team USA.
Each boot is intricate, with 33 pieces total and 110 steps involved in constructing them.
“Technically speaking, it’s the most demanding boot we’ve ever made, bar none,” said Mike Rancourt, the company’s owner, during an interview with NECN/NBC 10 Boston affiliate, NEWS CENTER Maine.
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For the company’s employees, being asked to produce pairs of shoes for the Olympics, not once, not twice, but three times, is something they’re very proud of.
"I feel honored to have done something to represent America in the Olympics, I certainly am not going to be doing any skiing or anything like that," said Cathy Wilbur, a longtime employee.
So far Rancourt and Co. has produced shoes for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which took place last year and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The company says it is possible it will be asked by Ralph Lauren to produce shoes for Team USA once more at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
