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.
Crumbling ECCOs
I recently found a pair of ECCOs in my closet with crumbling soles...threw them out without giving it a second thought, thinking it was a factor of their age. Sure wish I had found this blog first!
I had the same problem
Eccos are awful. I don't see how these people can sleep at night.
Same Sole Failures
This past week I switched over from "summer" to "winter" shoes, and experienced the same sole failure with 2 pairs of Ecco -- one model is "Eternal" (no joke) and the other is "Shaker." (I thought that my disintegrating soles was a signal of some sort of home environmental problem like radon!) I have 9 pairs of Ecco shoes. I am very disheartened to hear that this is such a widespread problem.
What other dress shoe brands fit/feel like Ecco (or like Asics)? I have a pair of Ariats but do not find them as comfortable as Ecco. I have tried Dansko Solvei, Mephisto, Sesto Meucci, Cole Hahn/Air and Josef Seibel, and have had my best luck with the latter. Any suggestions?
ecco shoes
I too have been an ecco shoe user for 20 years and have also found the quality, comfort and fit are not as good as they used to be.
Is has happened to me too. I
Is has happened to me too. I won't trust in Ecco shoes anymore, because the company seems to make fun of us, the buyers. This way they will end up losing them.
Me Too
Unfortunately, I've purchased several pairs of Ecco shoes over the years.
I've just had my second experience with disintegrating bottoms. First incident occurred last November - Ecco Cross model. First wearing - shoes had sat in my closet unworn for some time. Soles completely disintegrated. Ecco replaced them.
Current incident - Ecco City dress shoes - worn occasionally over the past 3 to 4 years. The rubber heals disintegrated at a very unfortunate time and place. Not only dangerous to my safety but extremely embarassing. I don't know how Ecco will respond.
Even if they replace them with another piece of junk, it seems to me that the bigger issue is that these shoes should be not be sold. One place to start would be to bring this issue to the attention of major department store chains that carry Ecco, i.e. Nordtroms, Federated, etc.
ecco failure
I purchased $600 in ecco shoes before i retired. I have experienced the same failure in that all four pairs have had disintegrating soless. I though i had exposed shoes to a chemical after first pair failed but all 4 set of shoes have failed. I think the failure is based on chemical used to construct sole. Tires used on cars experience a failure even if unused as they have a hidden manufacture date and sometimes sales on tires are an effort by dealers to rid their stock before expiration date that is on a hidden code on sidewall. I can't believe a company such as ecco has such a flaw and allows it's customers to take the loss by this product flaw. I am going to approach my state attorney general in Connecticut and seek a legal remedy. steve jankowski
I think that's a great idea,
I think that's a great idea, Steve. These clearly aren't fit for sale. Please keep us updated, would you?
same issue who do we call or email w/o a receipt?
same issue who do we call or email w/o a receipt?
sole disintegration on Ecco shoes
I've been one of many multiple purchasers of expensive Ecco shoes. However, I've found the same major problem of sole disintegration. Nordstrom was the retailer and I've brought back two pairs there. They, however, give a "discount" for "credit" on new purchases -- so, if you originally paid, say, $144 for the shoes, they'll maybe give you a 70 credit or less. For shoes of this price the manufacturer should give a new pair because the SHOES ARE DEFECTIVE and there should be a recall for any that fall apart for no reason. I am greatly disappointed and want to know why there isn't a consumer outcry and governmental action to hold Ecco accountable. Their products are falling apart and consumers should be protected. After all Ecco and their retailers have made a ton of money off of faulty products.
PS Can I post pics here of my Ecco shoes? -- the latest of five pairs that have fallen apart.
Sure, we like pictures!
Go right ahead! Email me if you need help.
New Balance
Well, I'm as disgusted with ECCO as the rest of you. I've had four pair fall apart at the soles. Today on recommendation from some co-workers I purchased a pair of New Balance. They are offered in narrow and extra wide widths with a variety of styles. I have to say these are even more comfortable than my ECCO's were. No "breaking in" necessary.
Ecco sole failure: AKA looking for a replacement brand
I have been wearing ecco shoes exclusively for years. Ever since my first pair of ecco life shoes, I've been hooked. They were comfortable and stylish, and even though all 3 pairs that I had ended with sole failure, they all lasted a good long while. From time to time, i'll try a different brand, but i still haven't found another brand that is as comfortable as ecco.
Over the past decade, I have worn or bought as gifts over 40 pairs of ecco shoes. I have repeatedly had sole failure, both with the clear polyurethane soles and the black rubber soles. On average, the clear soles fail a lot less than the black soles. As ironic as this may seem, it appears that sole failure increases with lack of use. More than half of all the black soled shoes, and maybe one eighth of the clear soled shoes that I've had have failed in this way; perhaps because I wear the more formal, black soled shoes less frequently.
I have also noticed that the quality and fit of ecco's shoes has gotten worse over time. Recently, some of the pairs that I have bought have failed on maybe the third wearing. I have also recently had one shoe fail at the seams on the first wearing. This is quite unfortunate, as I love the comfort and fit of ecco shoes. I have flat feet and my feet tend to ache when I wear shoes that don't offer much arch support or cushioning.
I continued to buy ecco shoes despite receiving crappy customer service and having so many shoe failures. However with drastic increase of shoe failures after so few wearings, I am finally at my wits end and, I'm currently looking for a suitable replacement brand. The replacement would have to be comfortable, provide arch support for my flat feet, and cushioning for my heel spur. Any suggestions?
I'm not a foot doctor, but
I'm not a foot doctor, but my wife is. I know that she tells quite a few patients to wear whatever shoe is comfortable, then buy some good insoles to put in them. The specific model she likes is the "Arch 750", made by "Ten Seconds". They're more expensive than the ones in the "foot and armpit" aisle at Wal-Mart, but she bought a pair for me and I love them.
Again, I'm not a doctor, this isn't medical advice, etc. :-)
Comfortable shoes for flat feet
Try the Ariat Terrain. They have good support and cushioning. Chances are you may have to get them mail order if your local bootery doesn't offer them.
Dover Saddlery or Bootbarn both have websites you can order from. The Ariat site itself will have a good display of their shoes but they don't sell direct.
It wasn't just me?
Last week, I wore a pair of Ecco shoes that I'd had for years, but hadn't worn in several months, to my office. Mid-morning, I was surprised when a chunk just fell out of the sole of one of them. I thought, "Gee... I didn't realize they were in bad shape." That night, I threw them out.
Yesterday, I wore a pair of Ecco boots that I'd also owned for years, again to my office. Mid-morning, I dragged my foot along the carpet and it felt like I was scraping over pebbles. Those pebbles were the sole of my boot, completely disintegrated.
I found that their website has a live chat for customer support. I got someone — "Mary" — right away. She completely ignored any question regarding what might have happened, and focused solely (ouch; pardon the pun) on questions of warranty, age, a receipt... and finally told me they'd send me a mailer to send the boots back to them. She so totally ignored my questions about the actual occurance that I was starting to wonder if I was speaking to a machine that could only reply off a script. But if it was a machine, it had crappy spelling. I've never heard of a HUMAN failing a Turing Test before.
Both pairs of shoes had the polyurethane soles. My usual shoes have leather soles. Whatever the Eccos were exposed to, it must only affect polyurethane. I really just can't imagine what might have happened. Some weird carpet cleaner at the office? Insecticide from the exterminators? I just don't know.
I can't believe that there are so many incidents that there's a chat group about this. Un-freaking-believable.
ecco PU soles
I started to order a replacement for my beloved pair of ecco sandals that are about 10 years old. As I read the details of the shoes, I became disgusted with the sole description. I learned the hard way from a pair of shoes I purchased in Austria...the polyurtethane crumbled like pencil shavings! The description either stated PU or failed to mention the sole compostion at all. Come on Ecco, give the customers of expensive shoes the quality one would expect from a company that provided very fine shoes 10 years ago. It is a terrible thing for an established company to lose their reputation with shoddy merchandise...pun intended!
Distingration "eccoed" in Kumfs
It is interesting to read that so many people have experienced problems with the disintegration of polyurethane soles fitted to Ecco shoes. Exactly the same problems afflict owners of Kumf brand shoes after 4 to 5 years following purchase. I now have 5 pairs of very lightly worn Kumfs which have become totally unwearable because of cracked and crumbled soles. This deterioration has occurred through the passage of time and NOT I stress from wear, exposure to chemical agents or any other reason.
Just last week I took a brand new pair of Kumfs out of the their box and walked in these for a distance of no more than 300 yards before the soles cracked in half and a large part of the heels flaked off. Although never worn before, I purchased these shoes seven years ago and, since then, they had been stored a dry cupboard, in their original box, complete with the accompanying tissue paper.
Of, course I should have known this disintegration would happen. Silly me!
"It sounds obvious, but the fact is Kumfs shoes are designed to be worn. Kumfs have polyurethane soles, which are ideal as their light, flexible, slip resistant and wear well. Polyurethane soles don’t like being
shut away in a box as it can cause them to disintegrate and crumble in your cupboard. So wear your Kumfs
and enjoy!" (Source: Fourth Kumfs Newsletter - November 2007)
So there you have it! A big name and supposedly reputable shoe manufacturer has made a public admission that that the polyurethane material it uses for the soles of its products is inherently defective.
In most jurisdictions goods sold must be fit for their intended purpose. It is clearly arguable that shoes that disintegrate when stored under normal household conditions are unfit to fulfill the purposes ordinarily expected of them. Whether shoes made from material that simply disintegrates without being worn are of merchantable quality is therefore open to serious question.
I intend to seek replacement of the defective shoes from Kumfs and if unsuccessful to enforce my claims under relevant Consumer Protection legislation.
Knowing now of the problems associated with polyurethane soled footwear, I would caution anyone about buying shoes of this type unless they are to be worn regularly and are therefore expected to wear out within 3 years.
We're not alone
No, it definitely isn't just you - for better or worse. I was surprised and a little relieved to find that it wasn't just me.
It wasn't ever my intent to start a message board about the problem, but I did want to let others know about it. When the related stories started trickling in, I became equally vindicated (that I wasn't just some random loser who couldn't even keep up a pair of shoes) and angry at Ecco (that there's obviously a very real and widespread problem that they're not addressing).
Thanks for the update. It sounds like they'd still rather let you and I tell their customers about the problem than face it themselves. Pity.
ecco shoes
I wore my new Ecco hiking shoes for a week of light hiking and the sole of one turned to sticky mush . I never managed to talk to anyone at ecco - just got a voicemail, and my calls were never returned.
Mine disintegrated tonight!
My Ecco Comfort soles disintegrated today. The material around ECCO on the sole has turned to a brownish pap with a large hole in both. I've worn them probably 30-40 times and the soles were not even worn but they were probably about 3 years old.
Unfortunately, I live in the UK and bought them in the USA so haven't a hope in hell of getting anyone here to listen. I must assume that they are made to European green policy biodegradable standards that ensure you keep the economy going by buying frequently. Europe is a haven of greed hiding under such legistlation.
And another one...
I'm sorry to welcome you to our unhappy little club.
Wild speculation time:
One common observation is that the shoes are perfect for extended periods of time, then fail suddenly and catastrophically. If that happened in an animal, I'd suspect it was an infection. Are there any bacteria or mold that thrive on whatever those soles are made of?
Interesting thought. I was
Interesting thought. I was told by Boot Barn to store leather boots in an upright position on a shelf rather than laying down flat in a box. Apparently storing them upright helps them to keep their shape and wards off the possibility of mold setting in.
I don't know how true that actually is. I've had shoes and boots that I've stored in boxes for years, pulling them out for only the occasions I need them. I've never had a problem in all my life. The ECCO soles however seem to be susceptible. I don't know even simple chemistry but there seems to be maybe something about the PH Balance or the chemical makeup of certain surfaces that interacts with the soles. I had a brand new sole dissolve into a sticky goo when I stepped on a wet floor that had just been wiped with a floor cleaner. I'd tend to blame the floor cleaner if it weren't for the fact that 30 other people stepped on the same floor and their soles were fine!! Walking through wet bogs don't seem to fair well with them either.
Ecco Moving Production
Hi, Just visited my Ecco store and learned that they were closing out all the NEW Ecco boots, because the new boots are poorly made, don't fit correctly, and are poorer quality than the old product. Production of this classic boot has been moved to Asia. I purchased a pair of the remaining European-made boots and these are not fitting well, either. My old pair fit great and lasted for 6 years. It seems very hit and miss with Ecco. This is quite unfortunate.
It seems very hit and miss with Ecco. . .
As I'm now purchasing yet another pair of ECCO boots - second hand from e-Bay (in near new condition), I'm hoping the soles on this pair will prove better than the first. At $10 the pair plus another $10 shipping I figure it's worth the gamble for what I feel is the most comfortable style and make that I've worn. But if these soles disintegrate, I'm done with ECCO. (These have the made in Portugal stamped on the sole.)
For the record, I DID have a cobbler resole my first pair. Within a couple of wearings they came unglued, the under pad just crumbling away. He refunded my $50 stating the underside of the shoe was apparently too old and disintegrated to hold on a new sole. Go figure.
What's up with ECCO quality? Is it the materials they're using? Is it the adhesives they're using? Is there a problem with certain lots or batch numbers? Certain styles or specific manufacturing plants? Certain years manufactured? Maybe the specific areas the shoes have been shipped to? Climate conditions the shoes are stored in?
What is the common denominator or is there one? Inquiring feet would like to know.
Follow up: I just had a chat
Follow up:
I just had a chat online with a representative of ECCO on their website. Apparently if you have a pair of shoes that are within warranty AND you have the original receipt, they will offer to send you a mailer to return the shoes (for a replacement?). It was all a bit vague except the part that they DO REQUIRE a RECEIPT from an authorized ECCO dealer. I'm not sure how "new" the shoes have to be before they fall out of warranty. But what WAS CLEAR and what the representative DID state, The warranty does NOT cover used shoes. Well, by definition, aren't the shoes "used" once you've worn them?
Two representatives wouldn't even address the issue of the deterioration of ECCO soles.. just a long pause of silence until I was finally disconnected.
I had a good go-around with a third representative who in the end "closed the chat conversation" after stating Ecco don't warranty shoes that are used.
I am switching to Ariat. I think they make a better product all-round.
Happy trekking.
That's a load of bull
That's a load of bull. As I said in my original message, one day they were fine, then they sat in my closet for a few months, and then they literally disintegrated one day without warning. Warranty period or not, that's just pathetically unacceptable. I can understand shoes that gradually wear down over time until there's not much sole or upper left, but I've never seen a pair self-destruct quite so suddenly.
Anyway, thanks for writing. I'm actually getting quite a few readers on this subject so at least I can take comfort in knowing I've spread the word.
Data points
I think (being at work and not at home where my Eccos are permanently parked) that mine are the "New City Light" cap-toe oxfords. I bought them in Springfield, Missouri in early June of 2003.
I wear the ECCO trek- light
I wear the ECCO trek- light hiking shoes in California purchased from Nordstrom's but I didn't keep my original receipt. Not likely ECCO would honor a return that is 10 years old anyway.
Just came across your
Just came across your comments here. I love Ecco shoes, probably the most comfortable I've ever worn. However, I too have had the soles just peel off in huge chunks until there was nothing left but the underlying pad. The problem seems to begin when I've stepped on a wet surface. I haven't had the problem with Ecco shoes which have the black rubber soles. Only those with the light colored polyurethane soles. And I'm not talking about shoes that are old and beat up. I'm talking about shoes that appear new but may be even 4-7 years old with very little wear. Shoes shouldn't fall apart on the shelf and they should be able to resist moisture on the soles. But if it's been several years from the manufacturing date and the style of shoe is no longer being produced, it's pretty hard to get Ecco to do anything under warranty even if the soles show nearly no wear - except for the fact that they've just fallen apart on their own.
I haven't had the problem
For the record, my pair that rotted had the black rubber soles.
But again, you can take your shoes to a cobbler and have them re-soled for a whole lot less than buying a new pair. I think I paid about $35 to fix mine, and I think the new soles will probably outlast the rest of the shoe.
hmmm - you must all have bee unfortunate
I own 8 pairs of Ecco shoes, and have never experienced the problems you are describing here. I absolutely love my Ecco shoes, and will continue to buy them! I agree that Ecco should have responded to your requests, but if you, Kirk, write in an impolite manner, as you claim to have done in your second letter, then you automatically become the loser. I think it's sad the shoe was off poor quality, but by not staying calm and collected you have shot yourself in the foot.
You're right in a way, but
You're right in a way, but you can only be completely ignored so much before you give up. It was obvious that Ecco had no intention of making good on their products, so in my estimation at the time it was more fulfilling to vent and get it out of my system than to continue to beg for help that wasn't coming.
My Ecco shoes are junk
I bought a pair of Ecco dress shoes about 6 years ago for a job in NY that required dress clothes/shoes and wore them regularly for about a year. I've since had jobs that only required casual dress so I hadn't worn these shoes in over 4-5 years. I just got a new job that requires getting dressed up so I pulled out my very comfy Ecco dress shoes last night so I could wear them to work today. In my drive to the bus stop, I noticed my right heal sticking to the floor mat in my car. I thought I had stepped in gum or something then when I got off the bus and started walking, the soles literally started falling apart into giant rubber chunks--very embarrassing. I think the materials used by Ecco to make the soles must disintegrate after a couple of years (who knows maybe they did it on puropse). For the guy that just bought the pair that started falling apart immediately, his pair of shoes must've been manufactured a couple of years ago.
If anyone is willing to pursue this, I bet this is cause for a class-action law suit. Maybe mention that in your complaint to Ecco and you'll probably have several new pairs waiting at your door step.;-)).
Good Luck!!
Ben
Rotting soles...
This is exactly what just happened to me! I bought these really nice Ecco dress shoes several years ago, worn very little. I was recently asked to attend a corporate event that required "proper dress". I wore the shoes to this event (which involved a flight to another city), and noticed clumps of black rubber on the nice new carpet of the meeting room! The heels of my nice (expensive) dress shoes were coming apart! By the time I got home, a good portion of the heels had disintegrated. I tried emailing them with this info, asking for assistance, but have had no reply. Now I'm weighing whether it's worth trying to prevail over what appears to be their inadequate complaint-response structure, or if I will just fork over the cash to get them re-soled. Too bad... they are/were very comfortable shoes. Although clearly not worth the initial outlay...
Desperate measures
As much as I hate the idea, that might be the only thing that would make them pay attention. I've tried contacting Ecco on several occasions, but they've never bothered replying. Their sales/PR department seems to have as many problems as their manufacturing.
ECCO Shoes falling apart
I too had several pairs of ECCO shoes. Every single one of them have had the soles disolve. Some last a month or two I had one pair fall apart the very first day I wore them.. I have contacted ECCO and only got the run around.
I will NEVER EVER purchase another pair of ECCO shoes.
Same thing here... two pairs so far
Crumbling soles after light usage. In both cases after they had been sitting in my closet unworn for a few months.
I still have a couple of pairs of Eccos, but I would never, ever purchase another pair.
Not just me? Whew.
Thanks for writing. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with that problem.
It's a shame because they were really nice looking when I bought them. If they lasted any reasonable length of time, I'd probably buy a few more pairs.
Ecco Took Care of Me
I have returned a total of three pairs of Ecco shoes in the last few years for the problem discussed here. Shoes worn maybe 30-40 times over a period of 4-8 years or so and the sole one day just decides to fall apart. I contacted Ecco USA and told them my problem. They sent me plastic prepaid shipping bags that were used to ship them to NuShoes in CA who does their repairs. NuShoes got back to me and said that since the shoes were out of warranty they could resole the one pair for $70 with Vibram soles, but that the other pair could not be resoled because of the styling. I recontacted Ecco and told them that is was unacceptable for shoes that were not worn out from wear to have soles spontaneously dissolve. They agreed to resole the one pair (which were actually about 8 years old) with Vibram soles for the $70 (not as comfy as before, but still good boots) and told me I could order any pair of shoes I wanted from their website for no charge to replace the pair that couldn't be resoled. I ordered a pair of black Track II shoes which were delivered promptly, followed by a bonus pair of brown ones two days later. Probably a glitch in their system, but I gladly accepted them.
Just this past fall I returned another pair for the same problem, shipped them to NuShoes with one extra shipping bag they had sent me, and put in a note explaining what had occurred previously. Got an email back from Ecco saying that my shoes had been found defective and was sent a gift card good on any shoe up to $225 from their website. Considering I had paid $45 for the pair at Nordstrom Rack, that's a pretty good deal. Seems to me that Ecco is obviously aware that there have been defective soles manufactured, and pretty responsive if you contact them.
"Shoes worn maybe 30-40
"Shoes worn maybe 30-40 times over a period of 4-8 years or so and the sole one day just decides to fall apart."
Maybe that's our mistake. Maybe we need to wear them everyday so the glue stays adhered and the soles stay intact. :)
Well, that's encouraging
Well, that's encouraging although that won't help those of us who don't have our original receipts. And they still offer no explanation as to WHY their soles just dissolve. Defective manufacturing, my foot! Can we be more specific than that? No other manufacturer has made this claim to fame. I'd like to know what's going on. Ecco have access to the best tools in the industry or one would think! As someone who can no longer deal out the big green for some trek shoes, I now resort to buying my better brand shoes secondhand. Some great deals to be had from people who merely have too many shoes or changed their mind after purchase and like new Eccos can be had for a tenth the price in some cases. Will Ecco warranty these? I contacted their website and they tell me, "no". So why should it matter if I buy the shoes and give them away? Or if someone else gave them to me? A product does not spontaneously morph as it goes from one hand to another. It's still the same product whether it's sitting in your closet or mine and Ecco should stand behind it. But they tell me they won't. So while you may have been lucky in your dealings with Ecco, I still find their attitude to be snotty and uncaring.
After all.. we won't all have a receipt for the shoes that we own. Sometimes they are given as a gift. So does that make them illegitimate and unworthy of warranty? We should all ask Ecco for plastic mailers and send them our stinky socks!
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