ECCO: History, Philosophy and Business

ECCO is a Danish company founded in 1963 by Karl Toosbuy. ECCO today is still a family owned and run company. Since the death of Karl Toosbuy in 2004, his daughter Hanni Toosbuy Kasprzak has been the owner of ECCO and Chair of the supervisory board. Her husband, the shoe designer Dieter Kasprzak, is the CEO.

ECCO has grown from a small factory in Southern Denmark to an international shoe company with more than 17000 employees worldwide.

ECCO is unique in the global shoe industry in that we control the whole process, from design to finial product. Our designers develop our collections, ECCO owned tanneries produce the leather that we use and ECCO owned factories make our shoes. And because we are still a family owned company, ECCO does not make short term decisions, save on materials or compromise our quality.

Understanding the foot, understanding the shoe

People take an average of 15,000 steps every day. Each foot consists of 26 bones, 20 muscles and 112 ligaments, all of which need freedom of movement if they are to function as intended. Our heels have to support approximately twice our body weight with each step. Our feet give off approximately 200 ml of perspiration on a normal day.

ECCO has risen to this challenge.

As every single detail counts in helping to make every day walking a pleasure, our ambition is to use the best materials and to combine them in the best way. It's hard work, but it's worth all the effort.

From the moment you put your ECCO shoes on they feel soft and comfortable - following the natural contours of the foot. This is mainly due to the careful preparation of the leather at ECCO's own tanneries. The excellent inner climate of the shoes is partly due to the lining, which is capable of absorbing moisture while still allowing air to penetrate.

The light polyurethane (PU) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) materials in the midsole and sole are specially prepared to give the shoe maximum benefit from the softness and shock absorbing characteristics of these materials.

These are just some of the qualities that have brought ECCO shoes renown and recognition all over the world through almost 50 years of a continual quest for quality.

ECCO R & D

... if the right materials cannot be procured - you have to make them yourself!
Over the years, ECCO has put a considerable effort into developing advanced outsoles and insoles with a wide range of functions. The outsoles typically have to be able to absorb shocks and jolts and provide a good grip, while the insoles have a different set of functions. Some ensure comfort via their anatomical design and also have a shock absorbing effect. Others guarantee a good inner climate by being able to absorb moisture or kill bacteria.

When it comes to materials, technology also plays an important role. ECCO carries out constant research into new and better materials. In fact, ECCO has invented a number of materials such as the vegetable tanned ECCO Comfort Fibre System^TM insole that is free of metals and the Cambrelle® felt insole that can be taken out and washed. The integrated wedge construction in the outsole which optimises comfort and shock absorption is also an ECCO design.

ECCO is continuously engaged in a close cooperation with research institutes and leading experts within biomechanics, anatomy and production of materials to promote the development of new knowledge about the motor apparatus and the nature of the foot. We hereby ensure that our new shoe models are always based on the newest know-how and the best materials. In 2005, ECCO invested in a sophisticated 3D scanner, as part of an on-going research project to model the way that the foot behaves during different kinds of movement.

ECCO is constantly seeking new insights, production techniques and materials to be used in the design, development and production process of our shoes.

Technology

ECCO pioneered the use of Direct Injection Technology (DIT), where the upper part of the shoe, the upper, is placed in a mould before the sole is sprayed directly onto the upper part under high pressure. This unique technology, which guarantees unrivalled lightness, flexibility and quality in the individual shoe, is ECCO's hallmark, and it will form the basis of new and innovative designs in the future as well. ECCO's own control of the use and development of the technology ensures that new materials and production processes can be implemented quickly and efficiently anywhere in our production.

Tanning

ECCO's tanneries in the Netherlands, Indonesia and Thailand will continue as primary suppliers of leather to ECCO's factories all over the world. Retaining and developing our competencies in this part of the value chain enables us to maintain the high quality, unique production technology and the professional know how upon which ECCO's products are based. The in-house production of leather ensures high quality and flexibility.

In addition, ECCO Leather is today among the world's leading suppliers of high quality leather for manufacturers of car and airplane seats, bags and gloves as well as for other shoe manufacturers, and we expect to further strengthen this position in the years ahead.

Testing

At the ECCO test centre all shoe components are tested before being used in our shoes. We also carry out in process testing on shoes that are in production to ensure that they meet the required standards. In the shoe industry common standards for testing have been approved to provide a common reference. ECCO is well above what these standards require.

We have testers who are called in regularly for fit and wear tests. The shoes are exposed to ‘real-life' conditions, with relevant ‘wear'. For example, ECCO use farmers to test ECCO Track and city dwellers to test City shoes. The tester wears the shoes for a period of time, keeping a regular account of fit, wear and appearance. In addition, continuous tests are performed on all components, materials and finished products at all ECCO's factories and plants.

Production

ECCO operates shoe factories in Slovakia, Portugal, Indonesia, Thailand and China. In order to ensure the strongest possible focus on direct injected products, ECCO discontinued its in house production of shoes which were not based on this method of production in 2004. We have set up local development centres at all our ECCO factories to ensure uniform and integrated product development.