Brand Info

Ecco have been designing and producing shoes for over 48 years and they are synonymous with comfortable shoes. In this time, Ecco have gone from being a small company to becoming a market leader who are constantly growing and prospering in an ever changing world.

Ecco is a family owned company which has never made short term, budget led decisions that infringed on the quality of their shoes, and this fact has no doubt attributed to their on going success. The high quality that Ecco consistently delivers is down to their control over every stage of their business. The shoes are designed by the Ecco design team, the leather is produced at Ecco owned tanneries and then the shoes are made in Ecco factories.

The journey of the Ecco brand first began with Birte and Karle Toosbuy who had a small factory in Bredebro, Denmark. The couple and their small team began producing shoes under the Venus brand and the early days were demanding with long hours and endless problems arising. Money was tight so recycling was a necessary practice, at the end of the day any spare piece of string or material was saved to be reused.

In those early days the dedication and hard work of staff was crucial and on one occasion this was highlighted when during one exceptionally bad snow storm, a member of staff used her father’s tractor to get to work.

Karl Toosbuy was an entrepreneur with great ambition with his small team he created a range of shoes using pioneering methods. Not one to stick with tradition, he realised that the shoes should be made to fit and follow the motion of the foot and not the other way round. As a result, when Ecco’s shoes were released in the 1970’s they were an overnight success!

Karl Toosbuy cconstantly challenged himself and the team around him to create ways to do things faster and better. It was this demand for constant improvement that has resulted in the culture at Ecco today where determination and commitment has helped them reach the top.

The key idea that has been at the heart of Ecco since they first began is the guaranteed high quality of the shoes. To ensure that Ecco shoes offer the highest levels of comfort, performance and durability they put through rigorous tests. Initially the shoes are tested by machines and then they undergo human wear tests to ensure their comfort. Ecco shoes are tested by Ecco employees and graded on their wear, comfort and durability during everyday activities to ascertain how they will function in real life situations.

See the full Ecco Comfort footwear range here