My Ecco shoes are junk
I bought a nice looking pair of Ecco shoes a couple years ago. Actually, they were probably the nicest shoes I've bought before or since. I don't have a reason to wear dress shoes often, but when I did, they looked nice and I was proud to have them.
About a year ago I noticed that the soles were starting to come apart. I wrote to Ecco to ask for advice, got a short reply along the lines of "we received your message and will get back to you soon", then nothing. As of about a month ago, they finished literally rotting off - the soles were disintegrating in big, soft rubbery chunks - and my mother-in-law did me a favor by having them re-soled. I wrote again to Ecco to tell them what happened but this time I haven't gotten a reply of any kind.
I will never buy their shoes again. They look great but were completely destroyed and unusable after wearing them perhaps 10 times to church, job interviews, and other extremely low-abuse situations. What's worse is that they couldn't be bothered to respond to customer concerns (although I admit that my second message to them wasn't quite as polite and deferential as the first). I guess they just don't really care about quality or customer satisfaction.
There is now a gallery of pictures of rotten Ecco shoes that have been sent in by readers.
Comments
Ecco "dress shoes"
Anonymous on Fri, 03/05/2010 said:
Ecco doesn't even make a dress shoe as nothing with an artificial sole is anything more than casual at best.
To spend half as much as a pair of Aldens for them is nothing less than a mistake.
Same issue: Blown out Heels on Ecco City shoes
Back in 1999 I bought a pair of Ecco dress shoes and had my heel exlode aboout 18-months after purchase. ECCO fixed them, no questions asked and explained it was a manufacturing defect.
In 2007 I purchased a pair of ECCO City dress shoes for $185. Beautiful chocolate brown cap toes with woven leather. They had the Comfort heal and I must admit I'm partial to my Allen Edmonds when I wear slacks so my ECCO's got little use, maybe once a month wear. I pulled them out of my closet in August 2009 and while walking through my office I felt like I had a wad of gum stuck to one my heels as my balance was off. I inspected my shoe and noticed my heel had completely dry totted and blown out the side with large chunks crumbling off the back.
I went down to my local ECCO store, they identified the problem and said no problem, they will fix them for you. They sent me out of the door with a shipping bag.
They denied my warranty claim and sent me the shoes back. I emailed corporate and they said the shoes were out of warranty and there was nothing they could do for me. I will be sending in pics shortly so you too can see the carnage.
As I needed a pair of brown dress shoes I plunked down $220 for a pair of Allen Edmonds that were on sale from $295. This makes my 5th pair of Allen Edmonds, they have never left me down and I will never purchase a pair of ECCO's again in my life.
Ecco Track II
Well, I did not read all the comments, nor am I trying to one up anyone, but check out my sad tale. Bought a pair of Track II ankle height boots a few years ago. Did not need them right away as I have several pairs shoes/boots so I stored them in the box that I purchased them in from a store in Charleston, SC. They were in my closet where I have stored or kept shoes for many years. Shoes should not break down simply because they are sitting unused in a closet in a controlled environment. Well today, March 3,2010, I took the tags off and put them on for the first time. Wonderful comfort ! And I know comfortable shoes. The shoe soles lasted 2.5 hours. Thats 2.5 hours. Actually, not that long but I was at my doctors office and didn't want to walk out around in there barefoot. Peeled off or dropped off in chunks. I do not know what kind of compensation or satisfaction I may get, if any, but I can promise you I will never buy another pair of their shoes. I may be swayed by a remarkable customer service but it does not sound like I can bank on that pipe dream.
Ecco Soles
I am so suprised to find this site. I was looking for the name of the Ecco Ceo to send a letter to, because I had no luck with the customer service department to get a replacement pair for my shoes with soles that deteriorated. I, as well, will not buy Ecco shoes in the future.
SOL with my Ecco boots in Baghdad, Iraq
I had my wife mail my Ecco hiking boots so I would have a comfortable ride here in Iraq. I wore them yesterday morning, and they stuck to the floor. Interesting, I hadn't remembered the soles being sticky. After a five-hour mission, the soles were completely gone. I had a feeling Ecco knew about this problem long before I put my cash on the counter. The most printable criticism I can make is still too uncharitable to mention, but I am disappointed.
Poor Design
Bought a pair of Ecco Loafers after trying them on in the shop for a few minutes. First time I wore them, after half an hour my feet were in agony. Wore them 2 or 3 more times. Same result each time. Problem appears to be the wad of stitching and layers of leather where the top meets the side of the shoe. Sent them back and pointed out that I was not complaining about manufacturing quality but about design. Were they interested? no! I was told that the problem was a fitting issue and that 'fitting' is not their responsibility. So I have $100 worth of shoe that I can't wear. Will I buy more Ecco shoes- definitely not.
Poor Design
Such 'design faults' are sometimes reported by angry customers - surprisingly the said style is only designed badly to them.
Look for TPU stamped into the sole.
ECCO is aware of this problem and have addressed it. Customers with defective soles can contact ECCO and request refurbishing bags, which include complimentary pre-paid postage. Those shoes deemed to be defective will either be re-soled or replaced via retail merchandise vouchers.
TPU stands for "Thermal Plastic Unit". Most ECCO shoe soles are made of heat-mold injected polyurethane, NOT rubber. Polyurethane is a man-made chemical compound. With ECCO shoes, it is squirted into a mold as a liquid, then it solidifies to form the sole. The TPU process involves the chemistry of this polyurethane and it addresses the disintegration problem. The same sole disintegration issue occurred with certain "Cross", "Seawalker", "City Walker" and other models; new releases of these shoes also have TPU stamped into their soles.
More often than not, this issue occurs on those pairs of shoes that are worn in-frequently. For some reason, the defective soles would break down on shoes that sat unworn. To my knowledge, ECCO shoes worn on a regular basis rarely had the problem. I know very little about chemistry, but I do know that TPU stamped ECCOs will NOT disintegrate.
Ecco shoes
i too am having this problem. I just called Ecco and they want me to send them in for an 'evaluation'. but if they can resole, it would cost ME $75!
***Correction***
TPU = Thermal Plastic Urethane -- NOT Thermal Plastic Unit -- MY BAD
ECCO Boots Falling Apart
Like many others on this site I am wearing a pair of Eccos boots with the soles crumbling. I have no complaints otherwise, but this is pretty terrible to see so many people with the same problem. These were $200 boots 5 years ago and get seasonal wear. Looks like time for a new pair, but I will definately be trying to find something else.
Ecco soles are cursed
I have the same problem as many others with the soles. There is a rubber "cap" that goes around the entire bottom of the shoe which helps keep moisture out. The shoes are goretex lined and supposed to be waterproof. However, the right cap came off and now water is soaked through the porous sole like a sponge so the shoes are still wearable but not at all waterproof. What a waste of goretex. The stitching for the uppers is incredibly strong, I wish ECCO put as much attention into the soles. It's like having a Ferrari with exploding Firestone tires.
soles disintegrate
Dear All,
My shoes are gone! I brought them to my dealer to show them what had happened during a bycicle ride. The soles were off the shoes and in the pedals. I continued the ride on socks.
After a long time they offered me a refund. I could not agree. I wanted my shoes back. They have ended in the shredder they told me.
I am very happy to have found this site.
What can we do to stop ECCO ripping off customers?
How do we get our shoes back?
Can we start some action?
Kees Veerman Holland
ecco black leather ankle boots
Hadn't had the opportunity to wear my lace up ankle boots till today - cold and icy outside. I put them on and found I was sticking to the carpet - the soles have begun to turn into tacky goo, so it's not likely they'd last the week out! I've never worn them, and never will now!!!
ecco sole issue--really good service
I've owned about 10 pair of ecco's over the years, boots and shoes, and had one pair of the boots have a similar sole issue. Last month their customer service people helped me get a replacement pair easily--their phone # is 800-886-3226.
all is true - most are made in china now
while their hq is in Denmark, they have closed almost all factories except china and thailand. Quality and fit are no longer the same. They have gotten away from making good products to making cheap products that break down. Keep up the messages as everyone should know that they are a rip off.
ecco shoes made in china?
You are incorrect in your view that most Eccos are made in china - some are, but most are made elsewhere. Ecco has factories in Slovakia, Portugal, and Indonesia as well as China.
Another sole disintegration
My Ecco Track shoes have not been used very much over the years. They look almost new and hardly any wear on them can be noticed. One exception: the sole (starting at the heel) falls apart. The soles provide a good grip in cold conditions with ice and snow and it is possible because of the use of this soft rubber. But the unfortunate side-effect is that the rubber disintegrates and falls apart. Just add me on the list of unhappy Ecco customers, paying premium price for a low-quality shoe!
Best and Worst
As much as it pains me to say it about one of my favorite brands, I have to agree with most of what is said here.
There is no doubt in my mind that Ecco does make the most comfortable shoe that I have found to date in any brand or price range.
I have been a huge Ecco fan over the years since my first pair of Ecco Track, a pair of shoes that lasted the better part of 6 years, including a full 4-5 years where they were worn several times a week as my primary footwear.
When I say they are my favorite I currently have at least 12+ pairs of Ecco footwear currently active in my closet. The oldest probably around 9 years old.
I have seen the disintegration problem 4 times now.
Brown Nubuck Limited Edition Track Shoes, extensively worn, Ecco refused to warranty
Mahogany Track Boots, moderately worn, Ecco refused to warranty
Brown Track , brand new, Ecco sent a new pair
Brown Ecco Cross, like new, recently sent to Ecco (will update)
Aside from the Brown Track, my experiences dealing with Ecco directly have been sub-par. The exception with the good experience is that I bought them directly from Ecco website and problem occurred right away (only 1/2 shoes were affected though?)
One thing is for sure, on 2/4 pairs there was significant lapses between periods when the were worn due to seasonality (Boots and Cross). The LE Track were worn all the time.
All of these shoes had either a light colored bottom or the sole was very light colored in the areas where it started to disintegrate. Interestingly two of my oldest pairs identical shoe in brown and black, both have a black base sole and aren't worn that frequently. Both have some wearing away of the treads but no sign of disintegration.
These shoes are definitely very expensive both customer service and quality should reflect that. A shoe should not fall apart after 3-4 months of no-use no matter what.
Ecco needs to step up their response to this problem.
While ranting Ecco, I would like to take a minute to slam their recent light brown colored dress shoes. The problem with the shoes is that the dye comes off the leather in very short notice. No shoe polish, no matter how high quality and regardless of color will keep on these shoes for more than 1 use. Sometimes its easy to see right in the store by flexing the shoe a couple times or pushing the leather in by the toe a few times with your thumb.
This has cost me at least 2 pairs that I had to scrap because Ecco said it's not their problem and they looked so terrible they couldn't be used in dress situations. It also cost Ecco at least one customer, a friend of mine that was all Ecco and now won't wear any dress shoes made by them.
I had never given much thought to the situation as a whole, but after finding this thread and writing out my frustrations I am pretty mad.
For starters I now know to wear my Eccos more ofter... bye bye slippers looks like I'll be swapping out for the dustiest pair of Ecco's in the closet.
Secondly this will absolutely affect my choices of footwear in the future. I had a pair or two in my radar for the holidays . . .
Thirdly whenever I have the chance to go by an Ecco store, I will stop in for some mailers and send my shoes back repeatedly with the hopes something will change!
These shoes are definitely very expensive both customer service and quality should reflect that.
So buyer beware, the most comfortable shoes on earth come with the risk very uncomfortable results!
On a related note: Nu-Shoe I've sent some Gore-Tex boots there in the past and have been less than satisfied with the resulting connection of the sole to boot. The Vibram soles were nice, but water-proof at boot-sole interface they were not!
--- all of this is posted as anonymous, but I'm willing to receive comments and respond to any Ecco representative at the mail 1918 (spelled out, not the numbers) at Gmail ---
Truth from a shoe salesman
The problem you are describing is a known defect in Ecco shoes. The problem arises when the soles are molded on to the uppers (something about temperature and chemical reactions). It only happens on certain batches and there is really no way to check this before it happens. The best way to avoid this on casual styles is to by eccos with black and not the greenish soles. Otherwise i suggest you purchase your shoes from a big name department store known for its customer service ( i am not naming names but they will take anything, including tires, back) and save your recipts. Then if this happens return/exchange them.
Black is defective, too.
It was the failure of my defective black-soled Ecco dress shoes that made me originally write about this problem.
Look for TPU stamped into the sole.
ECCO is aware of this problem and have addressed it. Customers with defective soles can contact ECCO and request refurbishing bags, which include complimentary pre-paid postage. Those shoes deemed to be defective will either be re-soled or replaced via retail merchandise vouchers. New models with improved soles will have TPU stamped into their soles.
TPU stands for "Thermal Plastic Unit". Most ECCO shoe soles are made of heat-mold injected polyurethane, NOT rubber. Polyurethane is a man-made chemical compound. With ECCO shoes, it is squirted into a mold as a liquid, then it solidifies to form the sole. The TPU process involves the chemistry of this polyurethane and it addresses the disintegration problem. The same sole disintegration issue occurred with certain "Cross", "Seawalker", "City Walker" and other models; new releases of these shoes also have TPU stamped into their soles.
More often than not, this issue occurs on those pairs of shoes that are worn in-frequently. For some reason, the defective soles would break down on shoes that sat unworn. To my knowledge, ECCO shoes worn on a regular basis rarely had the problem. I know very little about chemistry, but I do know that TPU stamped ECCOs will NOT disintegrate.
Add on
I will say that i have numerous pairs of Eccos and they are very comfy. Good looking - not so much.
Ecco Shoes are the BEST!
I have owned at least 8 pair of Eccos. They are the most comfortable and long lasting shoes I have ever found.
Eccos are practically indestructible! I have never been able to wear these things out. I wear them most days for 2 or 3 years and other than looking a little "tired" they always hold up great. I only "retire" them when I see a new style I like better.
Ecco shoes are the worst (almost)
I had 6 pairs with this problem, various types. I will never ever buy this brand again rather go barefoot!
wait 'til one falls apart on you!
I'd been a huge fan for over 10 years. But it's hard to remain a fan when the product falls apart and the company won't fix or replace it.
This is a *known* problem. The first pair that I reported was promptly replaced by Ecco (circa 2004). They said they knew about the problem with their soles and was apologetic.
When I returned another pair with the same problem a month ago, they claimed that it is out of warranty and shipped it back. This is a manufacturer's defect! They probably realized that the problem is larger than they originally estimated and decided it may be cheaper them to lose the customers than replace all the bad products they'd sold. It's probably a corporate / numbers decision.
Good luck with your 8 prs. I've owned more and only two had the problem (don't know all the model names - just not that a-retentive).
I agree that my shoes were
I agree that my shoes were wonderful up until the minute that their defects killed them.
Fed Up
I bought a pair of hiking boots and wore it 3 times whilst travelling. I just loaned it out to a friend for her travel and guess what? She just touched down at the airport and the soles just disintegrated. The boots are so new and I aired them constantly, cleaned them etc. I can't believe it! That was like USD180 down the drain!
My Merrell's did the same thing!
Okay, well some folks said that I should be happy with the fact that I have had a pair of hiking boots for as long as I did and got ample wear out of them. I'm not happy...at all. I have a pair of Merrell hiking boots that are probably 12 or so years old. I don't wear them too much as I live in a place now where hiking is not really convenient. I used to wear them often but I took great care of them. I decided to wear them yesterday and the whole area above the sole of the shoe crumbled like feta cheese. The sole fell off and I was stranded looking like a jerk with a sole-less shoe. My other shoe is about to do the same but luckily it held off. I called Merrell and they told me it was due to age and wear. So when was it that shoes had a life expectancy rate? Did I miss the memo? I have always taken amazing care of all my shoes, I unlace them, I polish them, I use Gortex protectant, etc. My nickname is Imelda Marcos b/c I am such a shoe fanatic. I spend a lot on shoes but they typically last forever. These were $200 boots 12 years ago- now they are junk. They still look brand new despite the missing sole. I am so mad. Anyhow, I called a few repair stores and they said they see a lot of Ecco's and Merrell's and I think Rockports was one as well. I asked about Vasque and most said they did not hear of issues with Vasques. My next shoe will be a Vasque- I will never buy Merrell's or Ecco's again (I used to have some Ecco's but I didn't like the fit so I donated them but now I know they are notorious I will stay away). Anyhow, I have a couple pairs of shoes from this shoe-maker that are awesome if you want a custom fitted shoe for work- they are hand-made in Michigan! http://fernandfootwear.com
I have the same problem with BAD ECCOs
Reading this site makes me wonder why no lawyer has yet to pull a class action suit against ECCO. THey should recall their product. I paid like $130 for my dress shoes think it is a joke my sole is breaking apart.
Deterioration
Same problem with the soles deteriorating on my ECCO shoes. I took them to my local shoe repair shop and they wanted $65 to replace the soles. The owner commented that the he sees this all the time with ECCO shoes (his joke was that they call them "ECCO" because they keep getting returned!). Given his comment, I thought I'd see if others were having the same problem. Clearly there is an issue here. I called ECCO and they said they'd send me a postage paid bag to evaluate them for warranty repair.
Multiple pairs - multiple failures
I have always been a big Ecco fan since my first pair of Cross in the mid-90's. They were more comfortable and a better fit than Mephisto, more comfortable than Allen Edmonds, more comfortable than Pliner, and more stylish than clunky cheapo Merrells.
I wore out multiple pairs of Cross shoes and had no issues until around 2004 or 2005. One day a relatively new pair of Cross began leaving crumbs under my desk. I kept seeing these little foamy crumbs and could not figure out where the mess originated. I searched and searched. Huge mystery for me until I felt wetness on the bottom of my foot at lunch. I looked at my shoe and discovered a large hole in the middle of the forefoot sole. By the time I got back to my office, the other shoe had a large hole. The shoes were absolutely like brand new in every respect - I had worn them no more than a dozen times - yet they were destroyed.
To Ecco's credit they did replace that pair of Cross shoes.
Then I noticed that other pairs of Eccos were behaving the same way. A pair of City wingtips had crumbling heels. Large pieces of heel fell off and those shoes I had literally worn twice (I don't really like wingtips). Then a pair of Arlanta's began to crumble. I haven't checked my Track II boots and I am terrified to check my golf shoes (the only golf shoes I have ever had that were really comfortable).
I haven't complained to Ecco yet on the City or Arlanta shoes. I hope they will stand behind their product and repair or replace them. If not, I will not buy another pair ever again.
Did Ecco change manufacturing around 2004? Are they made in Asia?
I must say that since that first Cross failure I have bought mainly Allen Edmonds and Pliner shoes. The Edmonds are American made and built like brick houses. Unfortunately they are *not* comfortable out of the box and I suffer like mad until they are broken-in. The Pliners are comfortable, but *not* supportive at all. They are, however, nearly as well made and durable as Edmonds.
One last shoe comment from a guy who apparently has a shoe fetish - check out Red Wings. They're a bit stodgy and blue collar, but they are exceptionally comfortable and well-built. They are nearly as comfortable out of the box as Eccos and I have a knock around pair which replaced the Ecco Cross in my closet - they're now 5 years old and severely battle scarred but still just as comfortable and with very little sole wear.
If Ecco stands behind the two bad pair (or the other two pair if they are bad) I will buy again - especially the golf shoes and Arlanta's. If not, I am done, done, done with them.
Santa problems
I bought a pair of ecco shoes for a Santa outfit. I wore them two nights in a row in 2007. I just put them on again to go to my best friends funeral. The soles started disintegrating at the service as I was walking by the coffin. It was pretty crappy. Someone mentioned earlier that they are a time bomb, that is exactly right. And they will indeed pick the worst time possible to fall apart.
Yes!
Ok, well..I only buy my ecco shoes on ebay for under $20 :) but yes, I was at a rennaisance festival and the whole sole of my shoes just fell apart. I had to throw them away when I got home. There was nothing left to save.
Sorry, Santa. Do I still
Sorry, Santa. Do I still have time to make a wish for this year's Christmas?
Happy I found this site.
I found this site by googling "what model of ecco is the google shoe", and it was the first result.
You see, about a year ago I read an article about all the employees of Google wearing Ecco's. I had never heard of them, but assumed them to be similar to the Puma-style ultra-thin/ultra-light/wrestling/driving sneaker or Merrell's trail/all-terrain shoe, as both were popular at the time.
I did some searching and there were very few, if any results for Ecco retailers. I absolutely could not find a picture of these mythical "Google-shoes". In any event, I had other, more-important issues at the time, like starting my job at Cisco Systems. I figured, if these shoes are really popular amongst the corporate IT world, I'd find out soon enough. Well, no one at work wears them (although they DO wear both the ultra-thin and trail-style shoes mentioned above).
I happened to be shoe shopping tonight at Amazon. I saw several styles of Merrell, and lo-and-behold... Ecco Shoes! Oh, the excitement I felt when I thought I could finally own the Google-shoe! The trouble is, they have three pages of models, varying from trail to dress to training and others. So naturally I tried to find the type and ended up at this site. Boy am I glad I did.
You have firmly talked me out of ever buying Ecco's in my life, and I will spread the news to anyone that will listen, including the corporate e-mail alias at work for "reco's" for products and services.
My wife has had her Merrell shoes for 4 years, wearing them frequently outdoors in the rain and mud for hours at a time (they are her tailgating/concert/bad-weather shoes) and they still look and perform as good as new. She loves them and swears by the comfort. I have never owned a pair, but I have a feeling I am going to give them a try.
Ecco can keep their $200 clunkers, and I will spend my money with another brand. Thanks again to the owner of the site, those who have posted comments, and to those who have uploaded their pictures. You just saved me some money and aggravation. I don't know how long Amazon has been selling Ecco products, but I would encourage the readers to log in and review the models you have owned (not spam negative reviews) with maybe a note to google "ecco shoes are junk". You might save more people than just me and the folks that read the alias at Cisco. Thanks again!
Ecco is a dishonest company
The beauty of the Internet is that we can compare and pool our collective experiences. Its pretty clear that Ecco engages in dishonest business practices by knowingly manufacturing and selling defective products, all the while promoting same as a premium quality shoe. I have owned 5 pairs of Ecco shoes and every single pair exhibited the same defects described by other writers on this site. At first I thought it was an isolated incident but after the latest pair of Eccos fell apart, I decided to see if anyone else had this problem. Viola! here I am on this site.
Ecco, you'll love this. I'm a public relations professional. My new pet project is to see how much publicity I can get for this story: Shoe manufacturer has no sole. Takes money and leaves thousands barefoot.
On a bright note I have never had any problems with my Allen Edmonds.
That's awesome.
"Shoe manufacturer has no sole."
That made me literally laugh out loud. Thank you.
Let me know if you get anything into print or on the web and I'll be happy to send traffic your way.
Ol, I'm not crazy
I bought a pair of Ecco shoes about 5 years ago and wore them all over the world. This week, while on business in Bilbao, Spain, my shoes completely disintegrated while I was walking to dinner. Having found this site, I'm glad to know it't not just a fluke. Unfortunately, I had to throw the shoes away and spend $75 on a new pair of shoes while in Spain. The original shoes were about $100 and I no longer have the receipt or remember where I purchased them. But I do know that I will never buy another pair of Ecco shoes again. Reading these comments I can see that the company's customer care service as well as their product is execrable.
Hit the 10,000 mark
We just had our 10,000th reader. Thanks, Ecco! Without your despicable customer non-service, this never would've been possible.
Unglued sole after 4 months
Bought a pair 4 months ago and the sole unglued on one of them. I'm using them once or maybe twice a week and I'm not a heavy guy. Dont think I would bother buying Ecco again.
It's the polyurethane in the soles!
I too spoke with Ecco USA re: the problems I've had with the soles on all my Ecco shoes disintegrating. The disintegration was so sudden and unpredictable and totally embarassing! Once at an airport when I was boarding an international flight for two weeks of biz travel--talk of a scramble on landing at the other end to find replacement shoes! Another time when I was with my girlfriend on vacation. Another when on a trip to meet investors and bankers in Wall St. ...
The Ecco rep confirmed they have had problems with their use and composition of the polyurethane (the PU in their shoe descriptions). Apparently all of their shoes use PU which is either used in its entirety (i.e., the single density soles) or in a mixture with something else (e.g., latex; as in the PU/latex soles for the Cross and other models). The PU or PU/latex combo is wrapped around a soft foam-like spongy material that provides the comfort for the feet. What we see when the sole disintegrates and falls apart is the collapse of the PU or PU/latex leading to the debris from the foam/sponge leaving a trail behind us. Ugg! Yuck! That this can happen at any time, even (and especially!) when the shoes have not been worn, is simply shocking. The shoes are priced at the upper end of the scale and certainly Ecco aims to be a leader in footwear for the executive/corporate leaders. And clearly they, and I speak as one, demand quality, reliability, comfort and don't mind paying for it. I've paid for it, Ecco shoes are certainly comfortable, but their quality and reliability have left me in very embarassing situations.
Mephisto, Cole Haans, Allen Edmonds etc. are comparable and certainly far more reliable, durable, better quality; I'd rather sacrifice a little comfort in exchange for the reliability for it makes no sense to be with supposedly comfortable shoes that are falling apart when abroad, even as you are walking!
I'm going to speak with the local salesman at Nordstrom that sold me the Eccos I own and have them (or Ecco, if Nordstrom wants it that way) fix the Ecco time bombs.
Involve the media? Talk to a tort attorney? ...
Gosh, what a relief to find this website! Until now I thought it was a problem with me or the particular Ecco shoes I had bought...
The background: I bought several (in fact, six) pairs of Ecco shoes --dress and casual (Cross)--from the Nordstrom at the Stanford Mall in the California Bay Area (USA). I also own Mephistos and Cole Haans. I rotate through these shoes. A year ago the sole of an Ecco cross disintegrated somewhere between getting into my car and getting out; Nordstrom exchanged it for another Cross (which I still have and haven't used much since). A couple weeks ago, another Cross disintegrated while I was at the airport on an outbound flight. Imagine taking the shoes off for check-in security only to find the sole falling apart! And the embarassment of having to wear those shoes again on a flight...
I then discovered a pair of dress shoes had soles that were also disintegrating even though I hadn't worn them for over six months. So I took these two pairs to Nordstrom who said they were aware of a problem with latex (or was it polyurethane?) soles disintegrating owing to lack of use. First time I had ever heard of an expensive shoe falling apart owing to lack of use! Nordstrom offered to send the pairs in to NuShoe; NuShoe offered to fix one and said I should speak to Ecco about the other. I spoke to Ecco USA and they admittted the *polyurethane* soles, particularly if in a double density sole, were prone to disintegration even if the shoe was not in use. They have offered to replace the pairs I sent in.
Unanswered and pending resolution are my questions such as:
a) since most current Ecco shoes still have polyurethane soles and Ecco has not changed to other materials for soles, has Ecco fixed the problem with the polyurethane soles? how likely is it that these new shoes being sent me will disintegrate, even if they just sat on a shelf, in six months, a year, two? I buy products, and pay premium prices such as for these Eccos, for peace of mind; I don't want to be in the "turn them in to Nordstrom or Ecco and exchange them once again..." cycle.
b) why has Ecco, aware of this problem, not done a product recall?
c) why has Nordstrom not done a product recall? Don't these two companies realize the damage to their reputation owing to their errors of omission in this regard, particularly wrt a problem they are well aware of?
Ecco USA confirms the problem is systemic. They admit it has to do with their polyurethane soles. They also admit those soles can disintegrate independent of the normal wear and tear of shoes; in fact, they can disintegrate even without any wear or tear. It's as if these shoes come with a ticking clock inside them and at the sound of some internal gong, they just fall apart. Unlike any other shoe in history. Especially given the premium prices they charge for them.
In my opinion, Ecco should confirm its problems with polyurethane are resolved and exchange any shoe with disintegrating PU soles for the newer models that don't have the problem (or offer a lifetime, not 1-year, warranty on those shoes if the problem was related to the PU soles). Alternately they should work with their retailers (e.g., Nordstrom) to offer an exchange of problematic Ecco shoes for another equivalent brand (e.g.,
Cole Haan, Mephisto...) as restitution for those customers whose time and energy have been consumed by this saga.
Has anyone considered alerting the media? talking to a tort attorney (who'd smell a ready class action lawsuit waiting here...)?
Look for TPU stamped into the sole.
ECCO is aware of this problem and have addressed it. Customers with defective soles can contact ECCO and request refurbishing bags, which include complimentary pre-paid postage. Those shoes deemed to be defective will either be re-soled or replaced via retail merchandise vouchers.
TPU stands for "Thermal Plastic Unit". Most ECCO shoe soles are made of heat-mold injected polyurethane, NOT rubber. Polyurethane is a man-made chemical compound. With ECCO shoes, it is squirted into a mold as a liquid, then it solidifies to form the sole. The TPU process involves the chemistry of this polyurethane and it addresses the disintegration problem. The same sole disintegration issue occurred with certain "Cross", "Seawalker", "City Walker" and other models; new releases of these shoes also have TPU stamped into their soles.
More often than not, this issue occurs on those pairs of shoes that are worn in-frequently. For some reason, the defective soles would break down on shoes that sat unworn. To my knowledge, ECCO shoes worn on a regular basis rarely had the problem. I know very little about chemistry, but I do know that TPU stamped ECCOs will NOT disintegrate.
***Correction***
TPU = Thermal Plastic Urethane -- NOT Thermal Plastic Unit -- MY BAD
Ecco shoes disappearing arch support
I have been wearing Ecco shoes for many years. They are great for about two years. Then the arch support just dies, without warning, and my feet start hurting real bad. It happened again and again, with every pair of Ecco shoes that I ever bought.
In fairness to Ecco, that
In fairness to Ecco, that seems to be almost universal across all brands and types of shoes. My wife's a foot doctor and often suggests that people buy their own rigid arch supports.
Let's take some action against ripoff Ecco
I'm another victim of Ecco's ripoff shoes. Two pairs have disintegrated. A while ago the shock button on some trainer style shoes turned to powder and more recently the soles on some sandals which I've worn about 10 times turned to jelly - I'll post a picture of these.
I have been in email correspondence about the sandals with their UK Managing Director and Quality (sic) Manager - when I'm back on my home computer I'll post their email addresses and that of their Danish owner so you can all tell them what you think. They eventually offered me a replacement pair for £18 approx plus p&p. I declined as this is a manufactuiring flaw and they should provide free replacements, plus I doubt they cost £10 to make in the Far East. Why should they profit from their mistakes and my loss?
We need to take some ACTION! Suggestions:
1) All write to the email addresses I'll post on here - repeatedly
2) How about those around London meeting up on a busy Saturday outside their Oxford Street store with our crap shoes - press to be invited?
3) Write to Trading Standards
4) Write to Which? magazine if you're a member
5) Their Website http://www.ecco.com/gb/en/ invites you to review their shoes. Post a review (suggested text below but you will need to alter the detail). There's also sites for Denmark and umpteen other countries
6) Write/email their stockists and refer them to this site
7) BBC's Watchdog programme are always looking for ripoffs to expose
8) Anyone in the media? A timely article in a national newspaper would not go amiss
9) A class action?
Let's hit them where it hurts - their pockets - just as they have with us!! They might just do the decent thing and replace our shoes free of charge.
Suggested text for Website Reviews
"Whatever you do DON'T buy Ecco shoes.
The sole has a manufacturing flaw which causes them to disintegrate if left in a cupboard for a while and Ecco will not replace them unless you pay! According to Ecco's UK quality manager there is a chemical reaction that sets in once they get past the guarantee period.
Go to http://honeypot.net/ecco-shoes and you will find that I am far from alone. Hundreds of people have been ripped off. Google "Ecco shoes fall apart" and you will find other similar sites where people tell you of their unhappy experiences, with photos of the remnants of their Ecco shoes.
I have had two pairs disintegrate on me. A pair of trainer style shoes and some sandals.
Don't get caught!"
And thanks to Kirk for this blog - the power of the Internet!
David Foot, Harrow, Middx
David, I absolutely agree.
David, I absolutely agree. When I first wrote about my defective Ecco shoes, I figured I was the only person who'd had this problem. I had no idea that it was so common and widespread, and never expected so many people to start writing in with their own experiences and sending pictures to me. The power of the Internet, indeed!
I think I might start a letter-writing campaign of my own to US authorities and media. At first I was angry at my own bad luck. Now I'm angry that Ecco keeps making and selling defective shoes and ignores all requests for help.
Believe me Kirk. By the time
Believe me Kirk. By the time I've finished, Ecco here in the UK will wish they had never heard my name!
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