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This Is Officially the Coolest American-Made Boot, I Have Proof

Easymoc created a true mocasin-boot hybrid thats as gorgeous as it is tough.

Brown suede hiking boots with thick black lug soles on green moss with dry leaves.Easymoc
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By Brad Lanphear

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Easymoc has only been around since 2020, but the brand makes boots like it’s 100 years old.

Based in Lewiston, Maine, the young footwear brand has learned from and now fosters a rich local shoemaking tradition. At the same time, it also innovates with designs like the titular Easymoc and the badass Rangeley Boot.

Pair of brown suede and leather lace-up boots with rugged black soles on a blurred green background.
The Rangeley blends traditional hand-sewn moccasin construction with heritage boot design.
Easymoc

Easymoc built its reputation by using traditional hand-sewn moccasin construction with an uncompromising attention to detail, while adding a modern twist to the look of its shoes. This was epitomized by the slip-on camp moc that bears the company’s name and put it on the map.

After a few years of sticking to moccasin-based shoes, the brand expanded to boots, which led to the ambitiously designed Rangeley. Starting with a true moc boot, like the kind made by fellow Mainers Rancourt and Yukenten, Easymoc layered on a set of features to make it more comfortable and functional.

Brown suede lace-up boots with thick black lug soles worn by a person sitting on mossy ground.
The Rangeley Boot has a Vibram lug sole with a tall heel stack.
Easymoc

The Rangeley is built with two different finishes of the same leather from CF Stead, a well-respected tannery in Leeds, England. The vamp, mud guard (a panel that wraps under the base of the foot) and the top panel that also frames the tongue are an oiled nubuck leather.

Most of the upper and the center tongue panel is made of a matching full-grain suede. The result is a nearly uniform color with contrasting textures that are more weather-resistant around the base of the foot and more flexible at the ankle.

Attention to detail

At first glance, the Rangeley, which is named after a town in Maine, blends in with the crowd of locally made moc boots. But closer examination, like the kind done by Rose Anvil’s Weston Kay, reveals an astounding level of attention to detail.

Brown suede lace-up boots with rugged black soles worn with beige pants near a rocky stream and metal bridge.
The wrap-around moc construction and flexible upper make the Rangeley a comfortable hiking boot.
Easymoc

“I love this boot because it’s so unique in so many ways,” explains Kay in Easymoc’s Moctober entry video. “I guarantee this is going to be one of the most comfortable boots that you can hike in, that you can wear every day.”

The reasoning for those bold claims comes down to details like the soft leather sock lining, the ridiculously wide back stay with a built-in pull loop and the multi-panel tongue.

One of the most interesting details, which Kay almost brushed over, is the V-shaped cutout where the tongue extends into the vamp. This increases flexibility at the mid-foot and makes the boot easier to get on and off.

Pair of brown suede and leather lace-up boots with black lug soles against a blurred green background.
The V-shaped cut-out where the tongue extends into the vamp improves flexibility at the mid-foot and makes the boot easier to get on and off.
Easymoc

More small details that caught my eye are the pinking edges on the neck lining and the lace holder panel on the tongue, the cutout halfway up the eyelet panel to enhance flexibility and the fat “beef roll” connecting the vamp to the upper that shows off the hand-stitched toe.

After cutting the Rangeley in half, Kay revealed the true hybrid nature of its construction.

The vamp and mudguard wrap under the foot like a true moccasin, but there is a cutout under the arch of the foot to allow room for a steel shank, which is unheard of in true moc boots, and allows for the vamp to be pulled taut around the last during assembly.

Stacks on stacks

From the leather midsole down, the Rangeley is all boot. It uses a Vibram EVA lug outsole that is Blake-stitched to the midsole for easy resoling.

Brown suede and leather lace-up boot with a rugged black sole against a blurred green background.
The full heel stack uses foam layers instead of the typical leather for more comfort.
Easymoc

The massive heel stack is nailed on, meaning it can be replaced independently. It also has a sneaky little feature that enhances shock absorption and decreases weight.

The contrasting lines running through the heel stack are typically leather, but Vibram made them foam so the heel can compress with each strike and give a little bounce back of energy.

Pair of tan leather and suede lace-up boots with black rubber soles on a white background.
The Rangeley is also available with a smaller semi-wedge outsole.
Easymoc

If that massive heel stack is too aggressive for you, which I totally understand, Easymoc also makes the Rangeley with a much thinner Vibram EVA semi-wedge sole. Everything from the midsole up is the same except for the addition of a speed hook as the top eyelet.

Availability and price

As is the case with all Easymoc products, the Rangeley Boot is handmade with hand-stitched toes in small batches in the brand’s Lewiston, Maine workshop. The leather comes from England and the outsoles come from Switzerland, but everything else is done and sourced locally.

Every Easymoc shoe is carefully considered and fills a specific footwear niche brilliantly, but the Rangeley Boot is truly something special. It is available from Easymoc for $795 with a lug outsole and $655 with a semi-wedge outsole.

Pair of brown suede and leather lace-up boots with rugged black rubber soles, one boot showing tread pattern.

Easymoc Rangeley Boot Stone Rambler & Stone Rough Out

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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