david hieatt

Made In Maine

I discovered this shoe company called Quoddy. They still practice the art of making shoes in the traditional way. This is a little bit from their website.

(www.quoddy.com)

Made in Maine is more than a geographical statement.  It’s an embrace of our heritage and an affirmation of our community.  The building that houses our shop has contained shoe companies since the 1800’s.  Lewiston, Maine, was the handsewn footwear capital of the world, home to many famous brands that over the decades employed thousands of skilled shoemakers.  Those brands have left town for the most part, but the shoemakers have not.  These talented people craft Quoddy footwear today.

We like to believe our products also reflect the spirit of Maine.  It is a vast state, land of big woods and wild ocean.  The name Quoddy comes from Passamaquoddy, the native tribe of Downeast Maine, which also lends its name to Passamaquoddy Bay, West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, and many other landmarks of Downeast Maine.  The Passamaquoddy are renowned for their artistry and craftsmanship, from birch bark canoes to woven ash baskets.  They also made moccasins.  Their approach using a full leather wrap around the foot and stitching it all together by hand was the inspiration for the footwear Harry Smith Shorey sat down to make in 1909.

The Wigwam on US Route 1 in Perry, Maine was the store the Shorey family set up to sell moccasins and other products of Maine to tourists who ventured that far up the coast, or more accurately that far “Downeast” as the locals say.  It is still there today, at the same location in Perry, alongside the Quoddy offices.

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I always preferred to read this kind of article.in which own thought is shared.

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