This YouTube video was posted in 2016
Complaints about the high priced Ecco shoes falling apart have been filed on consumer sites for more than 16 years – including on ours. In-fact our column on it from 14 years ago has been the most viewed post out of more than 5,000. It was written by my friend and veteran journalist Brad Kava.
While the number of complaints have decreased, they haven’t stopped.
It appears that the company still hasn’t solved the problem of the shoe soles falling apart. These are shoes that can cost as much as $299,
“Here are some of the complaints: https://www.complaintsboard.com/ecco-b116250 , here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7fSt8i_DAI
and here https://www.bbb.org/us/nh/londonderry/profile/wholesale-shoes/ecco-usa-inc-0051-92009279/complaints
Many of the earlier complaints included that the company refused to reimburse customers or gave them the run-around. Ecco is now much more responsive to the complaints. Ecco representatives did not have an immediate response but we will update this column if and when they do.
Almost two years ago a company representative gave the following response to a complaint:
What is occurring with the soles is called Hydrolysis. Hydrolysis damage occurs when moisture builds up in the thousands of air bubbles found in the polyurethane soles. This has occurred in less than 1% of our shoes and most often occurs with some of the older styles.
If your shoes have this problem, simply submit a warranty claim so the shoes can be sent in for inspection by our Quality Assurance team. Once inspected, if it is hydrolysis, you will receive a redemption coupon code that will enable you to select a replacement pair on-line at eccousa.com.
To submit a Warranty Claim, simply visit us.ecco.com . On the bottom navigation, under SERVICES, select Warranty. The Warranty Claim process will be explained in detail. Disregard the one year limited warranty, we do stand behind sole issues.
A Claim Number will be generated and displayed. Be sure to retain this number to track your Warranty Claim. Once complete, print your Prepaid Return Label or E-mail it to yourself to print later. Then, simply package up your shoes, apply this label and drop off at any US Post Office. An email will be sent once your shoes arrive at ECCO.
If you have any further questions, please call ECCO Customer Service.
This was our original story::
“There I was at a formal party, wearing a black suit and a beautiful pair of Ecco shoes (lace-up Oxfords which list for $159-$187), when I felt like I had stepped in something. The soles of my shoes suddenly got sticky and when I looked down, big pieces were falling off. Right there at a formal gathering,” reported Brad Kava of California who owns the monthly publication Growing up in Santa Cruz.
“I have only worn the shoes twice, and my mind started racing. Did I pass through some kind of acid bath on my way here? Did the carpet cleaner somehow get chemicals in my shoe closet? Were they in heat, cold? None of those was the answer. And as the night wore on, I grew more and more frustrated. My shoes were dissolving and leaving black pieces everywhere and I didn’t have a clue why.
“Let me say this: I’ve been a big fan of Eccos and have owned 20 pairs over the years. I’ve recommended them to my friends. They are expensive, but up until now, have always been worth the money. In fact, I sent three pairs of their hiking boots to Haiti, in the wake of the earthquake, thinking that was something people could really use.
“So what was this mystery shoe ailment? The minute I got home, I typed this sentence into Google: “My Ecco shoes started disintegrating,” and voila! and Thank the heavens and Al Gore for the Internet. There were hundreds of other complaints by people saying the same thing. Some said their shoes were older and hadn’t been worn; others said they were fairly new.
“I’m religious about checking reviews before I buy things, but never before noticed the complaints about Eccos. In fact, I recommended them to George Gombossy and he bought two pairs, one of which disintegrated after six years.
“Mine were a couple of years old, but only worn a couple of times. I don’t get it. There are complaints on the boards dating back to 2007. I am writing the company and will keep you posted on what it says and does.
“UPDATE: March 15: Ecco sent me an email saying the company will send me a shipping package so it can inspect the shoes. From the commenter below, this is a good sign that the company is taking care of the problem. On the plus side, that’s great. Also, all of my other Eccos have held up well. On the negative…can I risk having my shoes fall apart at another important event?
>>one of which disintegrated after six years.
Only six years?
I’ve got a pair of wingtips around here from 1968.
(Hand made French Shriner when they were still in Brockton, Mass.)
Ecco’s just another new chump brand anyway; why would anyone expect them to last longer than a few weeks is anyone’s guess.
Buy a cheap pair of Bass at one of their outlet stores, have them re-soled before you even take them home (with a decent leather sole as they come with a cheap one that’s too thin) and you’ll be surprised how well they’ll wear and you probably will still be around 100 bucks or so.
Better yet, buy Alden, they’re worth the price.
(I know……I swore it would be a cold day I ever spent that much on a pair of shoes too……but I sprung for my 1st pair and now I have 5 or 6)
Same thing happened to me yesterday. I pulled two pairs of Eccos off the shelf and the soles and heel completely came off in hundreds of pieces. The rubber on the tile floor was like hot asphalt and left sticky marks. I live in Panama and thought it was due to the humidity. As the shoes were ten years old I just tossed them. But what a mess!
I live in Colorado where it’s cool and dry, and had a pair of dress black oxford Ecco’s fall apart the same way everyone is describing, so it’s not the heat or humidity. It’s obviously a manufacturing defect. Mine are a few years old but have not been worn very much, so I went to a shoe repair shop to get new soles, but they can’t fix them. Bummer. Does anyone know if the new ones still have this problem.
A few years ago, I’ve a pair of ECCO’s dress shoe that I only wore a couple of times to functions and has always been in storage for over 5 years. Then oneday I decided to spring clean all the shoes in storage and a try out my ECCO’s dress shoe, to my horror the heel of the shoe disintegrated and stuck like black glue to the carpet. I took it back to an ECCO store in Sydney, and the store manager told me that this particular model has a special rubber material that will disintegrate when kept in storage for long periods. And ECCO was happy to replace me with another NEW pair of ECCO’s shoe of the same value.
Great shoes and excellent product guarantee!
Same thing happenned to my husband’s ecco shoes, have just worn it a few times on special ccassions ,and recently when he took it out of the closet, the soles just fell apart, we thought there might be mce in the closet , until we search for blogs n the internet, because we thought it strange how it was just pulverizing. We checked his other Ecco shoes and they seem fine. We will go to an Ecco shoes store and see if they will replace. Thanks.
Steer well clear of timberlands 100% of the shoes/boots I have bought from them have a problem whereby the soles drop off or crumble away after a couple of years even if unworn
Strange I have crumbling Ecco boots, but my Timberland deck shoes which I bought in Hong Kong c. 1990 (made in Philippines I think) are still going well albeit heels are worn down, and still the most comfortable shoes I have. I think they shifted production to Vietnam later, but don’t forget the client furnishes the specifications to the factory.
I’ve had the same thing happen with 2 pairs of dress Eccos, the most recent last week in a business meeting. They sent me a credit the previous time and I bought another pair, probably a mistake. Besides, if they still make the same crap, the new ones will do the same thing soon, really sucks. I will NEVER buy Ecco again!
It happened to me too. I worn thdm yesterday at work. While lunchtime I walked it left black peaces on the floor everywhere I walked! I didnt know it was me! Suddenly I felt I stepped into something. I looked at my shoes and soles broke! I quicly ran downstairs and changed the shoes( luckly I had another pair at work!). What I have seen was beyond the point! I had thought it was FAKES, but after reading this I cant believe it happened to so many people. Im writing this in January 2016 so this problem was NEVER resolved and beside ECCO knows the problem exists they keep fooling customers across the world! Thats what makes me angry the most! Where is CONSUMER RIGHTS?! How this can be legal to carry on selling this crap for soooo many years?!!!!
Sorry I meant February- time goes so quick!
Same breakdown of ECCO soles on new boots Feb 2016. I plan to send them directly to CEO Dieter Kasprzak.
My husband just went to an Ecco store and they replaced it, no questions asked. They seem to know there is a problem. His shoes are about 6 six years old but rarely worn.
I have worn ecco track boots for year’s. Good fit right out of the box. Style is great. Classic boot that gets compliments. Guys women look at the shoes a man is wearing. The track boots scream good taste. I did have heel separation issues yet ecco replaced them every time. NO questions asked. I will always stick with the track boots. Great boot.
The uppers are always in great condition but the soles fall apart. The problem is clearly the formula for the rubber they use, it has no long term stability.
The same thing happened to me. I had three pairs of Eccos, same style, three colors. I was on an airplane flying a long distance wearing dressy clothes when my shoes started falling apart leaving clumps of a black mess on each airplane that I boarded. Sole broke in the middle of the shoe. I barely made it home with something on my feet. Completely fell off my feet in baggage claim and I went home barefooted. Another pair did the exact same thing on another flight the next year. I had not worn either pair very often. I have one pair left out of the three. I got no help from the store I bought them from because I did not have the receipt from when I purchased them.
I have a pair of ecco boots for 10 years but only wore 2 or 3 times. Took it out last month for hiking but the sole separated from the shoe. Returned it to ecco but just got them back because ecco says that they only have one year warranty and the shoes had been re-soled. This is ridiculous. The shoes had not been re-soled! I can understand one year warranty (although I don’t remember of that)but automatic sole separation is clearly a material defect.
I have Allen Edmonds I bought 15 years ago and they look and feel great. Today I pulled my Eccos off the shelf. Upon arriving at work, they left heal disintegrated with piles of black rubber(?) ash left on the floor where I walked. How embarrassing. I’ll try my luck with Ecco customer service. Wouldn’t think of buying Ecco’s again. Usually I say “you get what you pay for” but the Eccos were not cheap shoes. Buyer beware.
They used to be good quality shoes. Would wear them everyday for about 5 years before they went bad. Now, forget it, they don’t even last a year before the soles start to literally disintegrate. The leather for the front part of the shoe…I believe called the instep folded up like an accordion….cheap leather…since they come from China…how bet the leather is ‘dog’ hide…makes my skin crawl to think what kind of poor animal was used to make the cheap leather. I’m done buying ECcco shoes…no longer a customer.
I have a prosthetic hip and all kinds of arthritis in my legs and feet.
I’ve had two pairs of Ecco’s dating back to 2007. I’ve worn them daily, each about 4 years and considered them to be, if not life savers, definitely joint savers.
I bought a new pair this week and putting them on this AM was astounded to see that the lining is no longer leather.
It is clear from these posts that Ecco is no longer a high quality shoe and I will have to look around to find another brand. Too bad, but I guess just another sign of the times
Ecco is just another chump brand? That’s why they’ve been around for over 50 years lol. Why talk when you are clueless?
I have had a pair of Ecco Oxford shoes “self destruct”..the soles just fell off in chunks!?!
Fortunately,my supplier contacted Ecco, who replaced the shoes immediately.
Unfortunately, I am on another pair of Ecco shoes, and the sole has Split!
I fear the manufacturer is building something in to the shoes to make them “self destruct” after a certain amount of time.
Same thing happened to me. First, it happened while I was in Laos and the company said that I needed to return them in the USA. Since I didn’t want to carry the shoes back to the States, I threw them away, and swore that I’d never buy ECCO again.
But I did, and yesterday the same thing happened to my other ECCO shoes: the sole of one shoe disintegrated. This time, though, I’m in the United States. So I’ve written to ECCO telling them of the problem and hopefully this time I’ll get them replaced.
I have a pair of ECCO shoes (ladies) and the inside inlaid disintegrated n the soles are almost falling off. As I walk, its like black saw dust falling off. I cannot use them on my recent trip to France in this condition.
Can you tell me how I can complain to the ECCO company. I bought the shoes in Singapore and the outlets here claim they do not deal with bad items. They only sell shoes.
You can return them at any ecco store even without receipt. My husband did and they replace with equal value and no questions asked.
Same old story. Almost threw them out and Ecco with them after about two years they fell to pieces with little wear on the sole. Dearest shoes I have ever bought because of knee operations.Still hanging up in the garage until I read all the blogs. Back to Ecco soon or small claims court.
ACR wrote:
“Ecco’s just another new chump brand anyway; why anyone would expect them to last longer than a few weeks is anyone’s guess.”
Here’s my story:
Ecco will not provide an exchange or refund for shoes that do not fit correctly. They say so right on their website. Unfortunately, I bought my Ecco sandals in a mall store.
After wearing them for a couple of hours, they became intolerably painful; sandals should be comfortable, no?
So I went back to return them.
The sales lady said foot pain was not an excuse to exchange or return their footwear. So I am now out $160.00 + tax. I wear size 14, so I don’t even know anyone I can give them to.
I must also say that these sandals were very cheaply made, probably in China or a similar low wage country. They could not possibly have cost more than $10 – $15 to the company. They were just fabric with velcro straps, and thin rubber soles. They looked nice, but they were made very cheaply.
There are so many reputable sellers of footwear that you can easily find something very well made, at Ecco prices. It really is a chump brand that hasn’t been around as long as many established shoemakers.
Don’t get caught in this trap like I was. Any reputable company will at least exchange your purchase. Most will refund your money if there’s anything wrong with the fit or the comfort. But once Ecco gets your money, you’re out of luck if there’s a problem.
So buyer beware! Ecco doesn’t stand behind their merchandise. Once you hand over your money, you’re the chump.
So you think its acceptable to wear a product outside, then decide they don’t fit and expect a refund? Surely trying them around the house on carpets would tell you if they would hurt or not. You are an adult, you make the decision, why should the retailer suffer for your mistakes??
Why would people complain if you had your shoes for more then 3 to 5 years?? You guys all a joke!!! If were to buy other brand it wouldn’t even last you a year. If you were to wear it who the hell goes and try to get another pair? Throw it away and buy another brand if you don’t like it? Simple as that! Stop your Bitching and go look for a different brand.
The WHOLE Reason people bought Ecco sister because they lasted FOREVER. And now they don’t. You on the other hand d have always bought cheap shoes.
I’ve had the same thing happen with 2 pairs of dress Eccos, the most recent last week in a business meeting. They sent me a credit the previous time and I bought another pair, probably a mistake. Besides, if they still make the same crap, the new ones will do the same thing soon, really sucks. I will NEVER buy Ecco again!
Same thing happened to me. I was out to a birthday dinner wearing a pair of lace-up Oxfords I haven’t worn much and they completely disintegrated. What the hell causes this? I spent a lot of money on these shoes.
I agree, never again. I bought a pair of Allen Edmonds years ago, and they are still the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever worn, and lasted – for 10-15 years. I think I finally lost them in a move or something.
is the crap they are made of toxic? That is my question. how do I dispose of disintegrated black goo if it is toxic?
I have worn Ecco shoes for years and had the same problem. I contacted Ecco and they sent me prepaid envelopes to return them. They then sent me generous vouchers to replace them at any Ecco store. They handled it great and I remain a big fan.
I pulled my Ecco dress shoes out of the closet after their being in storage for several years while I was out of the country and the soles were “melting”. I looked at several of these sites online that I found with Google and at first all I saw were highly negative comments about Ecco and its customer service around this problem. I was about to throw them out, but first decided to call a local Ecco store. I was told I could get them replaced. I bicycled out to the nearest corporate Ecco store and got an equivalent C$185 brand new pair with essentially no questions asked once they saw the problem with the old shoes. I couldn’t even remember where I bought the original pair and I didn’t have a receipt, but that didn’t matter as they clearly have a policy of replacing any shoes with this defect, however old they might be. Aside from the half hour or so I spent online and the 30 minute bike ride, it was well worth my while. Their staff were very pleasant and helpful. I wish all companies were prepared to admit to manufacturing errors like this and rectify them so honestly and with so few hassles.
Bob Thomson
Ottawa, Canada
Unfortunately for me, last month I was vacationing in Buenos Aires and wore my Ecco shoes out for a fancy meal. I noticed the shoes were falling apart as I left my table. It was embarrassing. As other people have mentioned, they make a HUGE mess with tiny crumbles of black crap all over the place. Rather than pack them in my suitcase to travel back home with them, I threw them out AFTER taking many photos of them. I contacted ECCO USA, who were going to replace them, but told me they do not ship to Canada. They referred me to ECCO Canada. Unfortunately ECCO Canada’s customer service leaves much to be desired. They only responded to my email after sending emails several days apart, and they refuse to offer any compensation without being able to “inspect” the shoes. They admitted there was a problem with the soles of the shoes, and I attached numerous photos of the shoes, but they don’t care about my plight. It’s not like ECCO shoes are inexpensive, and after their less than stellar customer service, I will never purchase another pair of ECCO shoes, nor would I ever recommend them to anyone.
my ecco shoes are falling apart. please advise me how to contact
Wyman Honeycutt
My ecco shoe soles (hardly-worn) also crumbled away — but Ecco refused to compensate me. Not a company you should trust. The problem is even mentioned in their Wikipedia article!
I have had two pairs crumble away on me. My complaint to head office in Europe was ignored. A recent complaint to the shop where I bought them originally in Auckland was received with the advice that I should exercise them more – that Ecco shoes needed regular `workouts’. I returned the shoes last week for `appraisal’ and will keep you posted.
I am a long time ECCO customer but had a sole disintegration problem recently. They are being sent back to ECCO.
I just checked out ECCO on Amazon and they rate ECCO highly with no mention of sole problems.
I didn’t buy these ECCO shoes from Amazon the point being there is no warning from retailers.
All you above plz get intouch with Which especially the recent 2013 .I had a mega issue , andentioned to them which, they soon pulled there finger out & sent a voucher but it looks like the problem is still present , come on people contact which , also I will place on here a email address of a nick kelly at ecco , the more complaints he gets then maybe ecco will do somethin
Hi, not sure if you will get this as your post was 2013, I am having the same a problem with my ecco shoes and the company not wanting to help, if you receive this could you give me the details you mention of this Nick,Kelly, if you still have it. Many thanks
Unfortunately for me, last month I was vacationing in Buenos Aires and wore my Ecco shoes out for a fancy meal. I noticed the shoes were falling apart as I left my table. It was embarrassing. As other people have mentioned, they make a HUGE mess with tiny crumbles of black crap all over the place. Rather than pack them in my suitcase to travel back home with them, I threw them out AFTER taking many photos of them. I contacted ECCO USA, who were going to replace them, but told me they do not ship to Canada. They referred me to ECCO Canada. Unfortunately ECCO Canada’s customer service leaves much to be desired. They only responded to my email after sending emails several days apart, and they refuse to offer any compensation without being able to “inspect” the shoes. They admitted there was a problem with the soles of the shoes, and I attached numerous photos of the shoes, but they don’t care about my plight. It’s not like ECCO shoes are inexpensive, and after their less than stellar customer service, I will never purchase another pair of ECCO shoes, nor would I ever recommend them to anyone.
ECCO sent me a $200 reimbursement, which I spent on a pair of comfy leather-soled slippers…
What a shitty company who had to have known about this wide-spread problem and continued to sell these shoes. I have 3 pair, all with the same problem. Ecco sent a voucher the first time it happened, but you must purchase in their store and you will end up spending more money to replace shoes that should be replaced for free. Another shady corporation I have no respect for.
I’ve had this happen with 3 pairs of Ecco and 1 pair of SAS. The wikipedia article says they did have a problem with soles that crumbled in their early days, but they changed to material in 1998 to fix the problem. The author apparently has never owned a pair or he’d have been aware that the problem actually has never been fixed. There is something to the point that constant use seems to stave off the problem, but not wearing them causes the soles to crumble. The pair I have in regular use has been unaffected. Every pair not worn for six months, falls apart on the first use. Given that the problem is well documented and that Ecco is taking no responsibility for their product’s defects, Ecco is a brand to avoid simply because the Company has no integrity.
I bought a pair of these and can it will NEVER happen again. So badly made I had to walk bare foot in London. Contacted them about it and was told that I should have tested them on a carpet before going outside!! Pathetic shoes and even worse service
Bought a pair 3 years ago, which I’ve put on less than 10 times in total because I considered them to be dress shoes for special occasions. They were the best dress shoes I ever had and I put them on yesterday for a business meeting which involved a lot of standing and walking. As you can already guess, I suddenly felt as if I had stepped into mud and before I had the chance to stop and take a closer look, I saw fragments of the soles literally flying off with each footstep. I’ve had this happen to me with a few pairs of Clark’s shoes many years ago but this is the first time I see it happen with Eccos – and these were not the only pair I have! Just wondering how to contact Ecco and lodge an official complaint. I paid a small fortune for these shoes and they’re still virtually new…
Totally agree with all the statements made. Ecco products are total crap and you would be better off buying a pair of shoes from a market stall. I wore a new pair of ecco shoes last week and the sole compleatly disintegrated within 2hours! The customer complaints service is poor and not geared towards consumer satisfaction. be warned DON’T BUY ECCO – WORTHLESS TRASH
I just got home from a wedding and had to “google” ecco shoes falling apart and was suprised to see this problem so widespread. My shoes disintigrated on the dance floor leaving chunks of rubber everywhere! I’ll be calling the customer service number on Monday. Certainly not worth the $150 I paid for them.
ECCO had publicly acknowledged having an issue of premature wear with the polyurethane compound used for soles in some of its shoes, back in 1998. ECCO claimed that they came up with a new formulation that does not disintegrate, and soles marked with “TPU” contain the superior sole. However, all too often I’ve seen people report problems well after this improvement was introduced.
From what I gather, the new formulation is still prone to creating bad batches. So, some people will report no problems at all while others will still complain about disintegrating soles. The good thing is that more recently, ECCO has been attentive to customer complaints and will mail a pre-paid return bag for sending in the faulty shoes. In kind, they issue a credit towards purchase of another pair of ECCO shoes. That’s actually quite reasonable.
I’m two year late in discovering what apparently so many others have learned about ECCO”s shoe fiasco. I received a 75% discount card to use on their site. So, I’m going to belly up to pay for an obvious manufacturing defect? No way! Do they really believe they have my trust and confidence with this approach? From now on its buyer beware with Ecco products.
Interestingly, after receiving the card I spoke with a friend who had the same problem. Took the shoes back to Nordstroms and they replaced them free of charge with no receipt. Go figure!
WOW ! MY HUSBAND HAS TWO PAIR WITH HARDLY ANY WEAR & DISCOVERED IT THIS MORNING. WHAT CRAPPY SHOES !
I HAVEN’T CONTACTED ECCO YET BUT ALSO ONE OTHER PAIR IN HIS CLOSET CLARKS ANOTHER 200.00 SHOE & SAME THING !
I have purchased 7 different pairs of ECCO shoes over the past 8 years. Three of those had the soles disintegrate. The first ECCO sent me a voucher, but the shoe I had was no longer made.
The second pair I just tossed in the trash. The third pair self-destructed last Thursday having been worn at least 10 times during the last 30 days.
ECCO shoes are very comfortable but I buy shoes to last and these do not.
I will not be purchasing ECCO shoes from now on.
SAME THING TWO PAIRS FOUND THIS MORNING WITH CRUMBLING BOTTOMS , NOT WORN MUCH, BUT I LIKED THEM WHEN I DID . ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT CONSUMER PRODUCTS AGENCY> cLASS ACTION??
I thought it was just me or perhaps a de icing material used in St Anton Austria. Whenever I took my super smart Ecco boots on a ski holiday a few weeks later the soles fell to bits. This time its a pair of casual shoes with what looked like polyuarthane soles, but its seems it was actually toffee in disguise! I took them off the shoe rack and I had a gooy mess, incredable. The problem is you cannot beat Ecco for comfort. I’ll find the address and try and get a refund.
Wow,
I was thinking that some rodents had got to the soles of my shoes. Only to see I am the only who had the heal on my shoes disintegrate.
Thank you for this post.
If you want to fix your Ecco shoes, Do NOT send it to them. My husband had an ecco sandal and wanted to fix the back strap. He couldn’t get it fix at a local shoe repair so called Ecco and they told him to send it to them to take a look. Next thing from them was that they sent him a letter saying “we couldn’t fix it and will send you a $75 gift certiciate” Where is his sandle?? They didnt return the sandle back to him because they already destroyed it. They destroyed the sandal without the customer’s approval. He didn’t ask them to destroy the sandal nor to not returned. If he didn’t sent the sandale to Ecco for fixing he would have kept it at least or could have been a backyard-sandale or whatever. I’ve never heard any customer service/company that they destroyed the item customer sent them for fixing and never give it back to them. This is not right. What’d if the item was a memorable shoes. They have no rights to destroy the shoes the customer PAID and OWN. There mus be something wrong with this company.
Mine fell apart too.
I had the business-casual shoes for work. One day I thought I had stepped in a puddle of pop because my shoes were sticky. The next day it seemed like I had stepped in gum, and chunks of the sole were falling off — horrible. It left sticky goop on the floor at work and in my car. Horrible!
I called Ecco, and they told me to go pound salt (not in so many words.) I got nothing from them because I didn’t have a receipt and it was more than a year.
The whole section under the ball of my left foot fell out in goopy chunks. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was disgusting.
Like everybody else, I first tried to figure out how or where I could have stepped in acid or solvent, but could not come up with anything.
Thanks for this website and others talking about Ecco disintegration. At least it’s satisfying to have an explanation, and that it wasn’t something I stepped in.
Now I’m even more pissed at Ecco for playing dumb, when they obviously must have known about it. Their reps must have been told:
“if the customer says it’s over a year, deny everything”
“if it’s under a year, still deny it, but send them $75 voucher”
One pair disintergrated 5 mins after being worn by my 76 yr old mother who is diabetic and has neuropathy in her feet , could have fallen over, another pair same 3 wk ago. European customer service S… got a reply from Ecco in uk to send them off as I said I will get Trading standards involved they don’t realise how much damage they can cause a person to be in . Ecco shoes are CRAP
The soles of a pair of walking boots have disintegrated and another have become sticky. I have tried to contact Ecco. They do not reply to my emails and their number is constantly engaged. I have always bought ecco shoes but will never buy another pair. Terrible customer service
Email Watchdog at the BBC lets get Ecco to answer some questions to them , I’m still being Fobbed off Ecco are S… come people complain
Have just bought urban walkers for Xmas for my wife,some present! she has walked along the pavement twice and the soles just crumbled, completely unwearable.
She spent a long time (and money) looking for some practical shoes that looked good and from previous experience were very comfy.
These are only fit for the bin!
I’m with you on this one
Bought 2 pairs of $ ECCOs for wearing in NYC biz scene. Each pair actually disintegrated during commute on successive days (left a trail of black rubber pellets on MNYC sidewalk! not bad for timing!). Not a good thing with meetings approaching. Thought it could only be a single incident thing so was dumb enough to wear 2nd pair after checking ’em out. Ouch.
Ducked into Edmond Allen (think they opened locked doors for me 15 minutes early when I held up disintegrating shoes) and spent bucks for replacements 2 days in row. Ouch.
That said, ECCO customer service was great back then. Bag to me. Sent shoes out. New ones back. period. That was 4 years ago or so.
Now the first of replacements has started to fall apart. Called. They are sending bag. Will let you know if they send new pair or coupon.
I believe they are sending actual replacement shoes in USA. Woman was very nice on phone. She did have stock answers about how it came to pass (she was nice but oxygination or whatever is complete BS, company’s position to avoid bigger liability).
Liked her, will send shoes out, expect new ones back.
Keeping an open mind and am glad I was not on a date, trying to land new biz and leaving a vast trail of rubbery bread crumbs wherever I walked! Oh my!
I had the same problem with my ECCO shoes, soles literally came apart in chunks after very little use. Uppers were like new. Company said “too bad” since they were over a year old! I have shoes that are 15 years old and still in great shape!! Myself and my family buy many pairs of shoes each year, but we will NEVER BUY ANOTHER PAIR OF ECCOs!
i wish i’d checked the web reviews before i began buying ecco shoes. i have three pairs, and two have disintegrated in the same manner as described by others on this site. last year when this happened, i paid to have the shoes re-soled as they’re expensive, look good and quite comfy.last week the second one died on me – and i fear that the 3rd one will go the same way. where does one lodge a complaint? they are comfy but with that kind of price tag one buys quality with comfort. no more eccos for me!
I’m so thankful for this post, guys — I just had my favorite Ecco walking shoes that I bought years ago completely fall apart on me while unpacking from a recent weekend trip. I agree with the person who said that she thought rodents had gotten to her shoes! They were fine when I packed them for the trip, and I wore them to walk to and from our hotel to a concert venue. I packed them to come home, and never noticed a thing until just now. Unbelievable. Fortunately, I still have the box they came in, and I purchased them from Nordstrom, so I’ll report back on what they tell me. Unfortunately, I worry that because the shoes are eight years old, they will claim they no longer sell them and can do nothing about it. I’m at least going to print out this thread of posts along with a couple of others I found, and give it my best shot. Thanks again for having a place like this to comment
I bought a pair of Ecco Tracks back in 1997 for140$. I was amazed by the comfort, they felt custom made. One yr later I went back to get a spare pair, but was disappointed to learn that the “new” Track line had replaced my shoe. I bought another pair anyway even though they did not seem to fit as well. The new sole was no longer 1 piece, but composed of an outer tan rubber layer, very thin, overlying another thin layer. The problem is, there was empty space between the 2 layers, so when you wear thru the outer tan layer, the sole basically collapses. This is not apparent of course when you first buy the shoe. They also used inferior leather, stitching, insole, and did away with the awesome 6 brass lace loops that were on my old pair (try finding those on ANY shoe regardless of price). I guess all in the name of cost control. My old pair was made in Portugal , virtually all nowadays seem made in China. The new pair disintegrated in 3 years , the old pair 15 yrs later still going strong. Still looking for a pr of shoes as good as the old Tracks, prob will never find it.
I have a question: has ECCO solved this issue or do they still produce shoes with this kind of soles? Do the recent models still have this problem?
Different day, I guess, S.O.S.
Four years later – FEB 2016 – I’ve a pair w disintegrating soles which I’ll send tomorrow to:
Tom Nelson – President – ECCO – USA
16 Delta Drive
Londonderry, NH
I bought a pair of ECCO Remotes earlier this year and noticed that the leather was tearing where it joins the sole right where the sole bends when you walk. Contacted ECCO on-line shoes in the UK and they said it was because I had bought a pair that was too big. They then changed their story saying that ECCO shoes are only designed too last 6 months and they offered me 25% off my next purpose which was very generous considering it was the same store wide offer available to everyone. I then contacted Head Office and got the same explanation.Soles were lasting really well!!!
today I actually received a voucher from ecco for£80 crap considering 3 pairs disintergrated They refused to help me untill I said I had emailed Watchdog , I also contacted Which , as I subscribe to them , they were very eager to put me in the right direction of having consultation with a solicitor , but low& behold Ecco coughed up.Dont give up , tell them you’ll get intouch with Watchdog , they don’t wNt there name tarnished .Only prob now is I’ve got to buy more Ecco shoes 🙁
Two pairs of men’s shoes. A total disintegration of the soles. They become liquid. I contacted ECCO, but no replay. This calls for a class action suit.
Same problem, desentigration of mid sole. Looks like a dead company!
Same problem. I had the Women’s heavy duty hiking sandal, walked around in my garage, and both bottoms of the rubber fell off! I hardly wore them. I didn’t even have any footprints on the soles. They sent me a bag and got 75% off the next Ecco.
This Week, my husband’s ECCO, black dress shoe.. the heel desinegrated. I couldn’t believe it. Will try to request for a bag and get something out of this bad engineered shoe. Ecco is supposed to be a brand name & high quality product
Just worn my winter boots for the first time this year …same as everybody here soles sticking to the floor followed by total disintegration of the tread into a sticky mess! Lets see how customer service is!
They have a facebook ‘fan’ page. I find it therapeutic to comment on there while waiting for a reply from customer services ( two e-mails no reply!)
Same as everyone else – Sudden Sole Disintegration Sydrome of my SeaWalkers. It’s been really hard to find shoes that look this good and are so comfortable. It’s a shame they are disposable shoes at a premium price, no more for me.
Just got off the phone with Ecco – No wonder the woman sounded so defensive when I mentioned both my soles blew out at the same moment. All she said was they don’t fix them anymore and gave me the name of a third party company which charges $75 and specialize in fixing Ecco’s bad defective soles. Looks like Ecco’s creating jobs;-)
I was at a job interview when both heels blew their innards out and turns out I had left a trail everywhere I went in the building. The personnel manager gave me duct tape to hold my soles on so I could get to my car. No more Ecco for me!!
I had the same disintegrating soles problem on two pairs of hiking boots. Both pairs were several years old but only rarely worn. I mailed them in to Ecco and got a voucher for 50% off a replacement pair. Why would I pay even 50% on another pair of these expensive boots that fall apart? I will never, ever buy Ecco again and I will tell all my friends to avoid them.
Bought a pair of Ecco’s several years back that are very comfortable. Haven’t worn them more than a few times due to a change in my lifestyle; mostly sandals or hiking boots. Wore them last week at an event and the soles started to fall off. Shoe repairman stated that they could not be resoled. In my 66 years I’ve worn army /law enforcement/hiking boots-fine dress shoes, and dozens of running shoes and never seen or heard of this type of issue. I will not bother contacting or buying from Ecco,but adding to this thread makes me feel better.
I had a pair of wingtips disintegrate during a job interview. 🙂 I didn’t find out until afterwards when I was at a friend’s house.
Those shoes had only been worn a handful of times, but were at least a decade old. A couple of other pairs that I hadn’t worn in years also disintegrated.
I’ve found Eccos to be fantastic. They’re the most comfortable shoes in the business. Worn daily, the dress-type shoes have lasted me several years before the sole is worn enough to warrant replacement. My Ecco boots give me several years of daily wear as well. So, I’m not upset about it. After all, if I’m only wearing the shoes once in a decade, clearly I didn’t like them that much!
I have had the same problem. Mine occurred in the center aisle of my church. Total embarassing mess. The bad part here is the failure to stand behind their product. First they said I had not worn them Often ENOUGH. That’s a new one. When I sent them in, they gave me 50% credit because they were more than one year old– even tho only worn 10-12 times. Now must purchase new shoes at full retail only from their website. They are available all over on line elsewhere for 25-30% off so “real” credit is about $40 bucks on a $175 purchase. Rip off city. This was my first and last ecco purchase.
I was so impressed with my first pair of Ecco shoes in 2001, I’ve bought about 8 more pairs of them over the past decade.
My first pair, from 2001, disintegrated into a gummy mess in 2007 after not having been worn for a couple years. What a disaster — I am fairly sure the carpet at work was permanently damaged.
I bought 2 more pairs in 2003. One of them disintegrated in 2010. The other, yesterday while I was at work. A huge chunk of heel was on the ground in the conference room — I thought “glad that’s not me!”, but after taking a few steps, I realized my shoe was crumbling apart. I left a trail of black gunk all the way to my office. What a disaster.
During the interim, I bought 5 more pairs of expensive Ecco shoes. I feel like each of them is a ticking time bomb, especially the dress shoes which I hardly ever wear (never get “exercised”). The best dress shoes I own are going to suddenly explode someday 🙁
This is really ridiculous — I like to think companies are smart enough to improve their design when a failure of this magnitude is revealed. But it seems like Ecco is continuing to peddle low quality goods because they’re too cheap to engineer a solution. Like they can continue to survive on suckers buying super comfortable, temporary shoes indefinitely.
Well, I hope their reputation catches up with them and continues to hurt them even after they realize their mistake!
I love Ecco shoes, they fit my foot better than almost all others. I own about 8 pair.
A few yrs ago ECCO actually replaced a pair of black walking shoes after the sole became gummy & disintegrated. I still have them in a box (long story). I just opened the box to wear them & the sole is all gummy & disintegrating just same as an identical brown pair that were worn maybe 10 times thru several yrs.
Incredible that without ever being worn at all, sole just disintegrating.
Paying to have 4-5 pair re-soled with Vibram because I like the shoes so much.
Unfortunately this makes them extremely expensive.
A real nuisance, frustration, & pain in the butt.
I had a problem with what appeared to be rotting insole. Called Ecco. They paid for me to send the shoes back for inspection. Then they sent me a brand new pair, even though I had worn the other shoes perhaps 20 times. I have no complaints. I have five pairs of Ecco, and I’ve encountered no other problems. They feel great.
Okay- I’ve officially read enough. I decided to google “Ecco gluey soles” and have gotten an earful. I called Ecco and she told me my husband didn’t wear his shoes enough and they may not be able to reimburse me if the shoes are over a year old. In the meantime, I have new hardwood floors with the Ecco emblem stamped everywhere because darling didn’t look down that day. I have mopped and cleaned and still can read my floor. This is crazy and they should be held accountable. Getting a coupon IS NOT A SOLUTION- who is holding them accountable?
I’ve owned many pairs of Ecco shoes since the mid 90s. Just recently I bought a pair of Fusion Moc Toe shoes. The soles disintegrated after only about 1 year. I sent them to Ecco and they replaced them no questions asked. Now 8 months later the replacement shoes are showing signs of some kind of dry rot on the rubber soles again. I’ve probably owned a good 15+ pairs of Eccos as they are the most comfortable shoes ever, but recently their quality seems to be lost…mostly in the sole.
I am a real estate agent in Tidewater Virginia and when ou office tours new listings weekly the agents have noticed this disintergration problem with our shoes–not only Ecco shoes–but all fine shoes–ugh!
We think the roads are being treated with chemicals that are causing the problem; does anybody have information to support our claim? It seems to be worst if the roads are damp. Thanks for your help.
Pair I’m wearing at work right now is literally disintegrating. Ridiculous and embarrassing. I have bought many pairs of Ecco’s before and really liked them until now. This is unacceptable and I will try to get a refund/voucher for sure.
Like many, I love how Ecco’s fit me and how comfortable they are. I’ve had many pairs over the past maybe 18 years. Of the 6 or so pairs I have right now, 3 are shedding enough PU to make them basically unwearable. I’ve thrown out others before, I just hadn’t realised at the time how systematic it is.
Have contacted customer service (form on website now limited to 250 characters, or slightly bigger than a text message), will see if I get any response.
I currently own 5 pairs of Ecco men’s shoes. 3 of which are the Ecco Track II’s. The very 1st pair, I purchased from Nordstrom and were immediately surprised how comfortable they felt on my feet. This was back in 1999. Since I have a collection of tennis shoes as well, they were only worn during the weekends, but sometimes left on the garage shelf for month before they were touched. Well, yesterday I dug them back out to wear to dinner and the bottom sole was extremely sticky–thought I must have stepped on something very sugary the last time I wore them. However, as I walked on them more, chunks of my sole starting to fall off! I was shocked…my most comfortable $200/pair of shoes were literally falling apart!
Today, I went to my local Nordstrom’s and spoke to a men’s shoes salesperson and described to him what had happened to my Ecco’s yesterday evening. He was well aware of the history of these shoes and he offered me a brand new pair right there and the spot. Went immediately home, grabbed the old pair and went back for the exchange. Nordstrom’s is AWESOME!!! Their customer service is second to none!
Same story. Two pair bought a few years ago. Only worn a couple times. One pair disintegrated at a wedding reception a couple weeks ago. I called local Ecco store and they said I could pick up a mailing bag and pay $75 for a repair by a third party. Then wore the other pair to a wake a week later thinking the same thing couldn’t possibly happen. Soles fell apart after about a half hour. Don’t think I’d want to bother having them repaired at almost half the cost of the shoes.
I bought a pair of expensive Ecco shoes that I wore only one or two times before the bottom got sticky and impossible to wear. I still have them because I could not bear to throw them away. This site has opened my eyes to the fact that the problem is systemic at Ecco. I still want to find a solution. Has anyone tried to remedy the sticky problem with any success?
My Ecco shoes cracked across the soles. I didn’t bother returning them as they were a present and I’ve no receipt.they were only 3 months old. I won’t buy Ecco again which is crap as I can’t find another comfortable brand but can’t afford Ecco that fall apart after a few months.
The soles on my Ecco shoes have fallen apart, whilst the uppers look fine. Same thing happened to my wife’s shoes ~ 2 years ago and we thought it was just a “freak” happening: obviously not from having read so many peoples’ comments!
Does anyone have an email address for contacting these people? I dont see why I should have phone to lodge my complaint!
Needless to say: No More ECCO in our family!
Have loved Ecco shoes for years. Most comfortable I’ve ever worn. However, several have had soles literally rot out & disintegrate.
Several yrs ago I returned 2 pair of Ecco walking shoes that were replaced with similar style shoes. I’ve worn one of these & other still in box & I think never worn but despite this sole has totally rotted out. Another pair similarly rotted out.
Called Ecco about the current 2 pair with rotted soles & all they will do is send me a single voucher for $50 towards a new pair. They don’t even want me to return the 2 pair.
Since shoes all were over $150 & there are 2 pair, $50 is a lousy deal to say the least.
I will certainly never buy Ecco again.
Shame since they are so comfortable, but definitely not worth it if don’t stand up.
Their comments that this is because they were not worn & used enough is pure crap!
Will never again buy Ecco shoes or any product from a company that fails to stand behind their product.
This is pretty pathetic
FYI:
The “Gummy” soles is merely a prelude to the rubber sole falling apart & big chunks falling off.
In addition, don’t get this Gummy stuff on your hands because it’s virtually impossible to remove without using an Industrial type of hand cleaner.
A real Mess
I had this problem with my shoes and my wife had a pair of boots that disintegrated. We found a local shoe repairer who managed to remove the soles and replace them with a substitute that he ordered specially. That was over a year ago and they are still fine although the cost was about £25 a pair.
I have this result with a pair of Eco Treker shoes, the soles are disintegrating and falling apart and becoming sticky, the upper is excellent. I am about to start trying to get a reply. It seems to me the glue used to join one layer to another is the issue an appears to have “attacked” the other layer. like others said, shoes look like I walked through an acid bath.
Glad I found this forum so I now understand that this just didn’t just happen to me. Everything mentioned above happened to me with two pairs of very expensive shoes within a week of each other! Bottom line is Ecco makes a crappy product that I’ll never consider again! Total junk!
Been buying ecco from 1999-2008. second last pair came apart after couple of weeks. All the other shoes up until then were amazing quality. I bought another pair Duh ! and they also came apart after a few months. For the price I was paying for these it is not on. I have had a chat with the people in the shop about the massive decline in quality, but they appear to oblivious to this. It is a real shame because I was a potential customer for life. Now I just buy good quality running shoes for durability and comfort. : ) Their loss !
This happened to me last night whilst in a supermarket. This is the fourth pair it’s happened to so I started checking around on the internet. I’m shocked to find that it is an epidemic. I live in Thailand where Ecco have a big presence including a factory (5000 employees). I will take my disintegrated shoes into their head office in person and see what happens. If no satisfaction, I will approach the Danish CEO at the Danish Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok,cocktail party, I will be wearing that pair of shoes.
I took my lovely Ecco boots back to the shop in Taunton today because great chunks of sole had disintegrated. I was told that there was no fault just wear and tear so no refund. They didn’t like me leaving the defective boots on the counter, the shop was full of innocent people who have yet to find out about the poor quality of Ecco soles!
I pulled my years old but not worn Ecco Shakers out of the closet this morning and went off to work. My office floor was gummy and I kept cleaning up bits of black “foam” off the floor. Finally, I check the bottom of my shoes and to my dismay, the entire ball of each shoe was disintegrating before my eyes. The uppers look great but now I’m walking on the inside of the shoes. It doesn’t sound like there will be any compensation. Too bad…nice shoes.
This has happened to me twice and neither time was I wearing ECCO shoes. The first pair were ankle boots from LL Bean made by New Balance and they cost about $100. The second pair were a slip on leather Oxford from Cole Haan with Nike Air Soles and they were almost $200. I think it was the material that both pairs of shoes were made out of and they were both about four years old but not worn that frequently.
Ahh ha! Stumbled across this review while searching the web (with no luck) for ecco heel replacements. I, too, was wearing a pair of ecco suede black v-vamp shoes when all the sudden it seemed as if I’d stepped in something. When I got to my car I realized one of the heel tips had completely disintegrated. I mean, I could understand a rare incident of this happening, but between then and walking into my door the OTHER heel tip also disintegrated. I’m having no luck finding any kind of replacements other than paying to have them mailed off for repair. I will NEVER buy another pair of ecco shoes.
Wow… So I had a pair of eccos in the closet for a couple of years. They are basically new. I’ve worn them for 2 days this week, and the soles have almost completely fallen apart. I was at a work meeting and looked down and realized I was in a pile of what looked like dirt – yes it crumbles to that extent, pieces like dirt. Uncool. Found this website. I thus post my story. Will contact the company but not too hopeful about the response.
Something missing in this thread ae the model names. Ive worn Ecco “seawalkers” for years with no problems. These eccos are different, some kind of oxford model? I dont know… I may actually buy seawalkers again because theyve always been great. But this model…… no……
1) One pair of Ecco, $125, after a few weeks the stitching near the heel was bothering me. Took it back to Nordstroms, they said mail it to Ecco. Mailed it to Ecco and they returned the shoes without any notes or comments. Ecco did nothing. This meant a company not to be trusted for quality or customer service
2) One pair of Ecco, $140, same issue as mentioned above by many folks, the heels crumbled, disintegrated, pieces broke off. I’ve filed a complaint with California Consumer Affairs office. Nordstroms says mail it to them
Let me add my name and story to this long list of sticky Ecco shoe bottoms – same story as many before me; I pulled these out after a few years, uppers looked fantastic. first few steps out of the closet and I thought I had stepped in something, tried cleaning the bottoms to no avail – these things are like walking around with fly paper. I’ve got plenty of other shoes in my closet that don’t get daily use that are holding up fine. High priced garbage…
All stories are all too familiar. My Via Spiga boots with platform soles fell apart as I stood during midnight mass on Christmas eve. Embarassing!! I could barely focus on mass thinking about how I would leave the pew to get out of church. First time to wear the boots after buying them several years before. Upper boot looks great! Soles disappeared in sprinkles on the ground as I walked to my car. Has anyone had this problem with Via Spiga shoes before? Had same problem with pair of Clarks mules before. Tossed those out. Want to complain to company about these. Is this company connected to Ecco? Agree that the shoes are high priced garbage!!
I have had many pairs of Ecco Track walking shoes and boots over the last 15 years.My work means getting on and off backs of lorries and leather soles are dangerous.Track shoes are so comfy I also started buying their boots for walking there so expensive I bought a second pair I saw on ‘Sale’.
Because the first ones wore so well I left pair 2
in the closet for 5 years +. As the first pair were looking scruffy put the new ones on for our Chistmas walk only went a couple of miles, all the pimples on sole coming away and sole all sticky.
Will contact Ecco after holiday and am worried about new shoes bought last month but these do have
‘TPU’ on sole and seem to be a harder compound.Hope Ecco are going to do something about boots uppers are brand new but when you turn them over Urrrgg!
After reading these reviews, I see that I am not the only person with the problem of the soles disintegrating. I have a new complaint, however. I have two pairs of Ecco shoes bought sometime back in the ’90s. Shortly after purchase I noticed big chunks of the soles falling out. I did nothing about the shoes for years and then finally brought them to a shoe repair shop that charged me $40 apiece to resole them. After about a year, the soles began separating from the shoes. When I brought them back to the repair shop, I was told that this type of shoe couldn’t be repaired. I was never given a satisfactory answer as to why they were repaired in the first place, so I will be filing a complaint with the BBB. When I called Ecco, they told me that since the shoes had been resoled by someone else, all they could do was send me a $50 coupon good for online purchase of new shoes. They also referred me to a company in CA called Newsole which said they could repair them. Needless to say, I will never purchase another pair of Ecco shoes again. I am out $80 and neither of the above alternatives is acceptable.
Some comments I understand but how long do people think shoes last? If a shoe lasts more than 3 years its a major plus in my opinion. Surely the sole of a shoe gets eroded with wear & tear…
Same thing happened to me. Bought a pair of ECCO loafers a few years ago. Wore them sporadically, at least 25 times per year . Last night at a nice event, the heels of BOTH shoes “blew out” simultaneously and huge chunks of black rubber heel were hanging and protruding under my feet making me look like a circus clown or a homeless person. No more Ecco for me.
I wore a pair of my work shoes ( retired in 2009, but these had been worn very few times ) when I had travelled 100 miles to attend a committal service. The soles disintegrated just as others have reported. I had to make an emergency visit to a shoe shop in order to replace them as I hadn’t taken a spare pair with me. Walking in a pair of disintegrating shoes was not a pleasant experience – I originally thought that I had trodden in dog poo as the soles shed themselves all over my friend’s floor. As my feet have stayed the same size for years, I have a large collection of occasionaly worn shoes, and this was the first pair that had disintegrated. However, the same happened the following week when I put on another pair ( I used to alternate pairs of shoes at work ). Obviously I didn’t have the receipts but won’t buy Ecco shoes again as they are expensive and I am not made of money. This is a shame as they are so comfortable.
Just bought a never worn pair of Ecco shoes, still in the original box, but at a flea market in Amsterdam.
I bought them because my trainers were wet from the rain, so when I put them on to my surprise they started to disentigrate , they lasted a couple of minutes.
I’m lucky that I only paid 3 euros for this pair. I have had Ecco shoes that I have bought from their store and have been very happy.
After this incident and reading the other stories I ‘ ll not be buying Ecco shoes again. They are expensive and obviously not reliable.
My pair disintegrated after about 6 years too, both shoes were split at the ball of the foot where most flexing occurs and one heel just cracked off. They were only used for nice occasions and still had lots of tread left. The leather uppers were still good so I had a cobbler put some vibram soles on them and expect them to last at least another decade.
Another person with a beautiful pair of Ecco shoes that are worthless. I took them to the local Russian shoemaker to re-sole, he says he can’t because of the way the last is connected to the sole. He said; “Ecco has great uppers, but really poor soles”.
That pretty much sums it up. $200 into the dumpster. I probably wore them 6 times.
April 1, 2014
Love my ECCO’s..Not so much any more.
Went to polish the lovely uppers yesterday and found the soles cracked in the middle, side to side. Don’t expect that in an expensive shoe. Not even 2 years old. Amazing the number of quality retailers who give these shoes such glowing recommendations.
i took my eccos out of the closet today the sides of the shoes had disintergrated and soles away from upers, store said they would not replace them.
My husband just took his Ecco shoes out of the box,he brought them a couple of years ago but never has worn them, found the soles were sticky. Wanted to take them on a trip. Glad I found this site he could have been walking around in shoes without soles.
I recently bought a pair of Ecco Women Biom Hike from an international Ecco retail shop. But the shoe bothers the heel from first time trying. It is totally intolerable even when wearing for one hour in the house. The insole is leather and is tough and hard at the back and the colored plastic part at the heel has deformed the inner shape of the boot in the back part, caused it to have a bumpy part inside the boot which bothers a lot. I go mountain climbing very often. It has been 15 years that I only use ecco hiking shoes and they have always been perfect. But this time the design has a problem. I took the shoe to the retail store where I bought it but they say as I have bought it in a 30% sale they cannot change it with another make or model for me. I still have payed a lot and I really don’t know what to do. It is totally unusable.
Wow, I haven’t had the kinds of problems that most of the posters have recounted but I have two pairs of Ecco World Class Saddle golf shoes and these shoes have “sole issues” as well.
I bought both pairs on EBay several years ago. These are somewhat unique in that the World Class Saddle is the only golf shoe they make with a leather sole. I bought these new for around $100 each. Now they retail for over $400 and picking up a pair on EBay for $200 is a bargain.
Well, last year one pair was getting pretty well worn and I wanted to get them resoled. It was then that I learned that these shoes are not able to be resoled. CRAZY. One of the reasons to buy a leather soled shoe is that it can be resoled. Oddly, Ecco is about the last manufacturer to make leather soled golf shoes; Florshein, Johnston & Murphy, Etonic, threw in the towel years ago. Foot Joy gave up the ghost two years ago so those of us that love classic “dress style” golf shoes with leather soles are SOL.
I’ve worn ecco shoes for many years but the last two pairs I bought didn’t last much more than a year because the soles disintegrated. Why do the laces last longer than the soles?
I bought sandle from Ecco in the mississaga and as we know Canada has short summer and this year when I tried to wear them the stiches came out..I called Ecco company in the Toronto they told me sent the shoes and we will refund your shipping cost and we will replace it with new one…once they recieve my sandal they said we are paying for your shipping cost and we do not have the same size and style of your sandle you must take anothe shoes…and I found Ecco Retailer in Eaten centre which had the same size and style but they did not willing to get from them and they sent me back my defective sandle..
I do not understand what is warranty and what is the point of the buying shoes and not wearing it..then return it …shame on Ecco in canada at head office by saying we are standing behind our product
I bought a pair of ecco Biom trainer shoes in 2013 in Malmo, Gustav Adolfs Torg 8, Sweden for 1400 SEK ( about $200), after a year of light use I have noticed that the sole on both side of my shoes cracked. I undrestand wears and tears but this is a first time observing such a defect. I took the shoes to the store and I explained my concern regarding this defect, a rude lady at the ecco store accusing me that I used the shoes a lot and that is why it has been cracked. I used my Nike training shoes for three years for training and I have never seen such a thing or any other shoes that I bought. Anyhow, I contacted the customer service in Denmark by e-mail and no respond, after my second e-mail they said that it will be forwarded to Swedish customer service and I still did not get any response after two weeks.
Very expensive shoes and I paid for the quality which is not there so ecco shoes not worth investing since you can buy another brand with better quality…I personally was a big fan of ecco shoes but now I am very disappointed and I would never deal with this brand anymore since there is no good customer service and guarantee that I expected from the ecco.
I nearly fell when I got off my car yesterday morning. A big chunk of my left ECCO rubber sole came off causing me to lose my balance. A couple of steps further to my office, the same thing happened to my right shoe. I think the grooves on the sole went too deep causing pronounced weak points
This pair of ECCO was about 18 months old and I wore them in rotation among 9 other pairs of shoes. I paid about $200 for them, not really expensive but not exactly cheap either but I have seen shoes cost a lot less lasting a lot longer.
After seeing other comments, I shall buy no more ECCO though they are quite comfortable to wear.
Two pair with sole problems. Black dress, soles literally flaked/broke apart into small pieces. As if I had stepped in an acid bath. Had them resoled at my cost and are not the same. Brown pair, wore for one year, the soles have now completely pulled away from the upper leather/shoe, from front to back. Made in China. No manufacturing quality control. Suspect the expensive spec’d glue has been substituted with Chines made knock off product. Ecco needs to join the 21st century in managing their nose picking manufacturing partners. You cannot sell a $150 shoe that falls apart. I will take both back to Ecco, if I don’t get some reimbursement, i will never buy another pair. they are comfortable. I have a third new pair that I will start wearing tomorrow. Great design, horrible manufacturing and quality control execution.
I had a pair of Ecco dress shoes in 2005 and I had the same problem. At first the front end of the outer sole disintegrated and then the heel part fell apart in big chunks. I had never a problem with Ecco shoes until that pair. I wished I had contacted the company for a refund.
Had Ecco hiking boots resoled by Ecco a few years ago, have not worn them since being resoled. left USA for Australia, put them on today, one boot sole came almost completely off after wearing for six hours, the other one came off at almost the same time. Now I’ll need to buy another pair of boots in Australia. Will contact Ecco with photos, we’ll see what happens.
I put them away a few years ago and when l took them out to wear them to a funeral the souls started to desenigate by leaving hunks of black pieces all over the floor. They looked new and felt good but it was embarisinga and l couldn’t do anything about it
My Ecco shoes failed after 1 year. Big hole dropped out in the middle of the sole. About as big as the hole in my wallet when I purchased these shoes! Sent them to the Ecco repair facility (Nu-Shoe). Received the shoes back today, unrepaired, with a note saying “unfortunately, due to the way the condition of the original soles (sic), we are unable to bond new soles to your shoes”. Poor shoes, poor grammar, and poor customer service. Strike 3, I’m out! No more Ecco’s.
Thought my insole was inserted incorrectly until I looked down and saw my heel. Split along the side and crumbling on the inside. Whatever plastic they are using in the sole seems to disintegrate over time. Wish I had checked the internet for posts like this one prior to throwing them in the trash., because there is an Ecco factory store in Clinton, CT near my home. Although I’m not sure, even with a voucher, I would pay for a second helping at the buffet.
I just goggled this issue seeing if I was the only person having similar problems. My Ecco oxfords that I have had for 3-5 years and wear to dress events and to the office. The soles and beginning to crumble/disintegrate and black pieces of the rubber are any where I have wandered to in the last day or so. I own about 6-7 pairs of Ecco and have bought them for some time. They are expensive but the comfort has always taken me back to them. I am now concerned. I plan on going back to Dillard’s and take this comments form all and the shoes and see if Ecco can step up and do what is right. I will follow up with there reaction after my visit.
Lightening strikes again. I posted my experience with 2 pair of Ecco shoes in 2012. Now, a 3rd pair has exhibited the same condition. I could send them back, but why bother as Ecco customer service (or what-ever they call themselves will stone wall just as so many above have experienced.
I wonder if the pro-golfers who endorse the product are aware of the problem? Of course, they are getting paid to wear the shoes and apparel with the corporate logo. No doubt, if they have a problem they get a quick replacement with no questions asked!
In the meantime, Ecco’s marketing department will rely on gaining new customers to replace those of us who voices are not being heard by the new buyers. Where is Consumer Reports when we need them?
Ecco’s brand reputation is no better than GM’s except when challenged by the Fed’s they issue a recall. Thought: contact your State Attorney General Consumer Affairs and make them aware of the ongoing product failure.
Lightening strikes again. I posted my experience with 2 pair of Ecco shoes in 2012. Now, a 3rd pair has exhibited the same condition. I could send them back, but why bother as Ecco customer service or what-ever they call themselves will stone wall just as so many above have experienced.
I wonder if the pro-golfers who endorse the product are aware of the problem? Of course, they are getting paid to wear the shoes and apparel with the corporate logo. No doubt, if they have a problem they get a quick replacement with no questions asked!
In the meantime, Ecco’s marketing department will rely on gaining new customers to replace those of us who voices are not being heard by the new buyers. Where is Consumer Reports when we need them?
Ecco’s brand reputation is no better than GM’s except when challenged by the Fed’s they issue a recall. Thought: contact your State Attorney General Consumer Affairs and make them aware of the ongoing product failure.
I have nothing to dispute anyone’s experience. Just wanted to say, though, that I have owned only two pairs of Ecco Trekkers and never have had a problem with either. First pair needed resoling after seven years, and the only reason I don’t still have them is that my orthotics no longer fit in them (arch problem that gets worse over time–not Ecco’s fault). Came across this thread as I was looking to send my other pair out for re stitching on the uppers, considering sole replacement for normal wear from pronating, again, not their fault.
One technical comment that I would offer: a woman up thread said that she thought it was BS when an Ecco customer rep said the problem was from oxygenation. ALL elastomers, especially those grouped into “rubbers” deteriorate from oxygenation. Oxygen + heat will turn rubber into crumb. However, it is something of a design flaw if it happens in normal use, say under three years. After that, the exposure to environmental chemicals + sunlight + oxygen will break down any rubber. Six years? Living on borrowed time my friends, living on borrowed time.
Ecco shoes soles dissolved not because of wear but some kind of chemical reaction with the manufacturing process. I like the style and comfort but to get a partial credit for shoes that have been worn two time is not a good deal
Also when the soles dissolve it creates quite a mess where ever you walk plus in certain situations flopping soles on your shoes could be embarrassing.
This is two pairs that this has happened. There will not be a third:(
I just had my Ecco Gortex Boot soles fall apart. I have never experienced anything like it. They aren’t cheap and I unfortunately bought 2 pair of them. Very disappointed. No more Ecco shies for me.
Just had another pair start to fall apart-this is really maddening. Going to get some expandable insulation in can and correct this problem.
Who ever the chemist was who came up with this formula is an idiot. It amazes me that the old tried and true formulas couldn’t have been used for their precious brand. My original ECCOS bought eons ago never have had a problem-those I have bought in recent years can’t be trusted. They are off my list of “good” shoes. Will never buy any of their products ever again.
My wife and always buy expensive shoes and have allot of Ecco shoes. They all seam to have the same problem with the heel. Just this month alone we both have had a pair of shoes come apart. We are now afraid to wear the other pairs we have and I don’t even feel comfortable donating them. When the heel of the sole comes apart it becomes difficult to walk. If you buy Ecco shoes and wear them you better bring an extra pair of shoes.
Calm down folks – it’s nothing brand specific. It’s bacteria and it eats rubber anywhere the temperature and humidity suits it.
Big curse in any area using softish rubber with the ‘wrong’ conditions.
Most commonly found with trekking or other outdoor boots as they are rubber heavy and left in cupboards much of the off season.
The protection is spray on sealant before you have a problem – you could try it when the issue has started but I doubt it will fix might slow the rot.
I lost many pairs of military boots in some digs and none in others so trick seems to be storing them in airy dry areas. Irony is what is good for the rubber might be bad for the leather (mild sunlight for example).
To all above and to all who shall read. ECCO is by far one of the best companies I have ever dealt with. Why? Costumer Service! Flat out, hands down, above all expectations. The best. No, I do not work for them but would love too if they take half as good of care as they do with their customers. I have never really bought a pair of their shoes for myself, see what I do is buy from second hand stores and sell on-line. It started when my customer complained with this problem, so I researched it. It took me 5 min. to see the problem find the solution and about 1 month turn around to have it resolved. I then later ended up coming across more of these problem shoes and paid 10-15$ each ending up with 3. The last ones I got online using the voucher was on Dec. 31, expiration date of said voucher. They were closed so I had to use my credit card to pay for them but still there was an area to plug in coupon code, which I did. The voucher was for 190$ the shoes I picked were 220$-ish. They charged my card but ended up returning it because of my voucher. I called in Jan.2 to confirm order and they said I was all good. I asked if I had owed them because the voucher was for 190$ and the shoes were 220$. Their response… Do not worry Mr. X it’s all taken care of. WOW Really? See, my point here folks is, let’s face it. Nothing is perfect nor meant to last forever. I would much rather a better then average product with far great customer service then a super high end product with less then average customer service. Thats how I model my business. It’s called taking one for the team. Basically ECCO did and I wish I knew of a way to commend them better for this. Big prop -up ECCO……
NORDICA SKI BOOTS -SAME PROBLEM – HEEL AND SOLE BOTTOM PLATES DISOLVED
Ok folks; I paid full price for my shoes that later fell apart, can I get a voucher for a new pair of shoes Ecco?
-And what is the process?
I have the same problem as described in the article. What I’m looking for is corporate email addresses for someone that might help. Does anyone have the email address of one of the executives?
I purchased a lovely pair of shoes about two years ago and am so upset as the soles started disintergrate and the uppers are like new I always buy Ecco shoes as I think they are the best what am I suppose to send them back or take them to the Ecco shop in Cork where I bought them or will you pay to get them repaired I did inquire about having them re soled and they would cost twenty euro I can not live without them .
Kind regards,
Nora May O, Sullivan.
I have purchased at least 25 different pairs of ECCO shoes over the past 18 years. Initially these were great shoes. I told everyone to buy ECCO shoes as they were the most comfortable shoe I had ever owned. I wore several pairs out and continued to purchase new and different models. Unfortunately I discovered that various models of these shoes have a major problem as the soles of the shoes self-destruct even with little wear. My slip on ECCOS self-destructed last week after only wearing them only around 10 times. I owned two pairs of ECCO Tracks where the sole collapsed after some wear. Another pair of lace ECCO’s I owned also self-destructed as the sole became extremely tacky and melted. I have spent a small fortune on these shoes. I currently own 13 pairs of ECCO shoes and I feel like they are time bombs waiting to go off. I will not purchase any more ECCO’s. The company should have solved these problems long ago.
We bought our stepson a pair of used Ecco oxfords that completely fell apart on the job, with chunks of the sole falling off. Four pairs of Mephisto and countless hiking shoes (LL Bean, Danner, Columbia) have never given me these problems, even with years of use. Big volume on-line retailers are enabling this corporate behavior by continuing to sell their Chinese crap.
I had the disintegration issue with a pair of Ecco shoes recently. We buy Ecco when Nordstrom has their half-yearly sale and store them until we need them. Great way to never have to pay full price for good shoes. This one pair was pulled out of the closet with both heels falling apart and leaving a sticky, tar-like substance on the floor and the other shoes next to them. Called Ecco about it, they sent a pre-paid mailer bag with no questions asked. Within a month of returning them I received a voucher card in the mail for an incredibly generous amount, for use on their on-line store. I do think it’s better to call their toll free number and talk to a human rather than using e-mail. I’ve always found their shoes to be great products, and usually hold up for a good deal longer than other brands. The fact that they took care of this issue without question says a lot.
How do you can in touch with ECCO. I have sandals that have fallen apart. thank you
Sent two pairs back last year. Never recieved them back. Ecco sent expired gift card and will not honer or return my shoes.
Anyone try the BBB?
ECCO isn’t the only company with this problem, a co-worker of mine had Clarks disintegrate too. Polyurethane, which makes the shoes so comfortable, needs to have air go through it to keep it fresh. SO if you don’t wear your shoes and let them sit for over a year (sound like most of you let them sit for 5+) then yes they will disintegrate. I frankly couldn’t spend that much money and NOT wear the shoes! Wear your shoes! If you buy a car and let it sit it will eventually not work! Nothing lasts forever, and there are bigger problems than your shoes falling apart from you not wearing them, like starving kids and earthquakes.
I’v bought a pair of bad shoes!
I bought a pair of Ecco shoes for my disabled daughter because I thought they were a quality brand. When I got them out after summer I found the soles have disintegrated although the rest of the shoes are OK. I can’t believe the number of complaints Ecco have received and have got no satisfaction from Ecco.
I bought a pair of Ecco Track II high boots three weeks ago for €195. This is my second pair of that particular boot. The first pair served me well for six-and-a-half years. I had walked many hundreds of miles in them before they gracefully wore out: no catastrophic failures in mid-trek. I had been so happy with these boots that I wasn’t going to buy any other brand or model as a replacement. But I had no such luck with the new pair though. I had walked less than 20 miles in them over a three-week period when I discovered that the metal D-rings (for the laces) on both boots had started tearing through the leather loops that hold the rings. I then checked my 6-year old pair and found that they were perfect in that respect. Indeed all that’s wronmg with the old ones is that the heels are so worn down that the let in water. The stitching, the leather and the feather, the D-rings, hooks, lacing, etc. are all in excellent condition. I consider myself fortunate that the new boots failed so quickly as the shop where I’d bought them took them back without argument and offered me a full refund (thanks, P.B.S.). I showed them my old pair and they immediately accepted that the new boots (which are identical to the old ones – Ecco Track II, Art. 001954 00741) were faulty.
I’ve owned many pair of ECCO, monstly the Track low dating back 20+ years. The first pairs were worn practically daily til the point of retirement (I even considered putting the first pair on a plinth in remembrance to all the adventures they took me on) It wan’t til the last two pairs, purchased in the last 5 years, when I had catastrophic blow-outs almost simultaneously (within days). Both the older and the newer pair (which I only wore occasionally) disintegrated and the sole completely separated from the leather as described in countless other cases above.
Up until that point I would have considered myself an ECCO ambassador.
From what I’ve gathered, this problem occurs with injected molded soles and age and lack of use exasperates the problem.
I haven’t bought another pair since, until today. I found a pair of ECCO GORM that were ridiculously marked down to 45€ from 145€ and the soles are not molded to the shoes so I thought I’d take a chance. Fingers crossed
Another tale of Ecco soles disintegrating: I have owned and loved Ecco shoes for decades. I have 2 pairs of lace-up semi-casual Oxfords (1 black, 1 brown)- great for business travel where I usually give myself extra time to explore, photograph/video, hike, rock climb, …. All I’ve had to do is clean them up and buff out any scrapes afterward and they’re ready to go for a business meeting. I’m a management consultant who quit wearing suit and tie years ago. A nice, open collared shirt + sport coat work great in almost any business setting because they hire me to be creative and unconventional 🙂 So I wouldn’t want to give up my favorite shoes I’ve ever owned – those Ecco multi-purpose oxfords.
Then about 6-8 years ago I bought a pair of Ecco sandals. I already owned one pair that worked fine for me but sandals do wear out faster than shoes in my experience. So I bought another pair at a big discount (more than half off) as a backup for that day when needed. I forgot about them and re-discovered them less than a year ago and started wearing them because it was indeed time to replace my old pair. Less than a year later the soles have started to disintegrate just like all these other tales of woe. I can’t even remember where I bought them, since I often shop when traveling. So no chance of “going back” to the store where I bought them. Given the mixed response from Ecco I read here and other forums, I’m uncertain it’s worth the bother contacting Ecco. What do I tell them – “the soles on my 8 year old sandals disintegrated”? because that’s when I bought them even though I’ve only worn them less than a year. But how do I prove that?
Do others think it’s worth the bother of contacting Ecco? Because right now I’m inclined to steer clear of Ecco entirely and go with equivalent good quality multi-purpose shoes from Rockport, Timberland, etc. Any other equivalent, reliable brands you recommend?
I totally agree with the main story. The ECCO shoes disintegrate even if properly stored. The company did not help me at all. All of my seven pairs of shoes are now lost and the local store only agreed to refund me only for one shoes. At first I really thought that I have found the best shoes in the world but we warn…DO NOT BUY otherwise you will risk loosing all the money spent in the shoes.
I had 2 pairs of Ecco boots fall apart. Different reasons…. The glue separated from the sole, I contacted Ecco and they just as much said ” too bad take a hike”. Second pair the rubber soles just disintegrated. I’m still following their advice and continuing to hike
I bought a pair of $200 ECCO Biom Golf Shoes 3 months ago. The spikes have since worn down to the extent that I can’t get them out, and neither can 2 golf shops. (This is not normal, and I rotate my shoes between rounds.) Calling customer service, I was told that – seeing I had bought them online and not through ‘an authorized retailer’ – I was SOL no matter what my issue is. Next, worn out spikes are ‘a matter of your independent usage and do not represent any form of defect (on our part).’ After owning more than a dozen pairs of ECCO’s over the years, I an done with the company and its products now.
Hello Fellow ECCO Faulty Shoes Owners,
I have a pair of very comfortable dress shoes that rubber soles started disintegrating. Found this Website with 33pgs of similar issues. Called ECCO 1-877-240-2365 and they are sending a mailer to return. “2-3 weeks” should know if they will honor a refund/credit on new pair. I own other ECCO’s that have lasted much longer. Rotate my x10 pair so it’s not like I wear them out. Crazy stuff! I feel like Good Year Tire should help with retreads!
Good luck to all.
This happened to me yesterday, October 20. I had put these shoes on after them setting in my closed for about 7 years because they were too big for my feet but I’m experiencing foot swelling and my shoes don’t fit me so I grabbed those in desperation. Had them on about 20 minutes and was giving a piano lesson when my feet felt “strange” and I looked down and there was what looked like the remains of potting soil dumped under my feet – the soles were in pieces on the floor and all the leather top and the strap was in pieces on the floor, nothing connected, all the seams missing. Yikes! Then I panicked thinking my feet were contaminated from being within the shoes and I wondered what do I wash my feet with to save from acid and the thought to call 911 came into play. I regained my sanity quickly and nothing happened with that big concern but it’s a real phenomena to have experienced that. And a father I’d never met had brought his son to piano lessons and he just looked at me very strangely and didn’t say hardly a word. He took a photo of my shoes and tightly remarked he’d never seen anything like that before. I wonder what he was really thinking. It didn’t take 15 minutes for these shoes to pulverize while wearing them. I’m still feeling spooked.
Im about to board a flight and noticed my hardly warn ecco shoes are disintegrating. I have no spare shoes. My dest8nation is an hour away. Not sure whether to go baco home or look for a shoe shop after the flight. What a disaster. I will never buy this brand again.
I’ll never buy Ecco shoes again. The sole literally disintegrated. The leather is cheap and wrinkles…since these shoes are manufactured in China..I’m starting to think that they are ‘Dog’ hide.
Go get plastic if you don’t want it to wrinkle!
I had a pair of Ecco black dress shoes for about 6 years. I wore them often because they were so comfortable. Then the sole started cracking. I asked in an Ecco store about fixing them. Instead they gave me a brand new pair for free! That far beyond what I would have expected. A great shoe from a company that is serious about supporting their products.
I bought a pair of black Ecco Shoes 3 years ago at the Ecco Headquarters in Bredebro, Denmark and barely wore them, using them at work only for a few months, when I noticed a few weeks ago that the soles are crumbling away, disintegrating and breaking away from the actual shoe! I live in Myanmar though where the climate is hot and humid, so I thought this might be the cause. I took some pics but I don’t know who to send them to. I took them to a local repair shop and they told me they can’t sew the soles because they would completely disintegrate. So he used a special glue to try to fix them. Let’s see how long the repair will last. Hopefully until I travel back to Europe in 6 months…
I wrote to the Customer Service of the Headquarters in Bredebro Denmark:
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At least they replied something…I will try to write to their store as they are suggesting and let’s see what happens, but I don’t really expect anything…
My Ecco Bioms Purchased in June, leaked and were returned in September . Iwaited a week to hear from Ecco. They replaced them but I was informed that Yak leather should be cleaned using Ecco special cleaner £19 , My replacement Bioms Leaked and were returned in Dec . The price has now increased , and I was charged the extra £25 with no good will . That is £200 total . Bioms do not need replaceable studs the studs out last the shoes .
After sending a mail with the pics of the shoes to the shop in Bredebro (Ecco’s headquarters) where I bought them, they finally replied the following: “We are very sorry to hear about your experience with our ECCO shoes. It is not ok that they are doing this.
But to help you we have to receive the shoes here in our store, do you have any plans to come to Bredebro soon? Or are you able to send them with someone you know…”
Unfortunately the chances I ever go back to this place are very small, but at least they made the effort to reply and they promised me they will forward my complaint to those who need to need to read it…
My Ecco shoes desintegrated at our Christmas party at our club. Left a hell of a mess on the floor before I relized that all the black stuff we saw on the floor actually came off my expensive Ecco shoes. Thru them right in the trash and spend the rest of the night dancing in my socks.Embarrassing! Will never buy Ecco shoes again!
My Ecco shoes desintegrated at our Christmas party at our club. Left a hell of a mess on the floor before I relized that all the black stuff we saw on the floor actually came off my expensive Ecco shoes. Threw them right in the trash and spend the rest of the night dancing in my socks.Embarrassing! Will never buy Ecco shoes again!
My first ECCO sandals lasted to 7 years.. they got all dirty and yacky after Egypt desert walks, climbing, bushwalking etc.. sole wore on one side and my doctor sad I have to get new one in order to reduce pain in heels. Next pair lasted 2 years, sole got worn by 1 cm, Next pair lasted 1 year. Last august I bought another one and it is already gone, sole worn out, started disintegrating. My wife wore pair of women sandals twice last year, yesterday discovered that half of sole unglued just from being in drawer. Terrible, they were my favorite shoes, anybody found good new brand to replace?
In October 2015 I wrote about my disintegrating Ecco boots while traveling to Bhutan––thankfully they decomposed in the Shanghai airport and not on my trek. As an owner of an adventure travel company I take outdoor equipment/clothing very seriously––boots/walking shoes, being on the top of the list––we recommend brands we trust based on performance. Equipment failure can really effect your trip. I have never seen failure like this––disintegrating soles.
After bringing this major flaw to the attention to Ecco USA. I was ‘shined on’ never receiving a serious response from them––not even an apology for the inconvenience––except for “you have a nice day”. I could box up the dead boots send them to Ecco for inspection––even if they offered a new pair, why would accept them. Ecco doesn’t seem to take this major design flaw seriously, because they still sell the same ‘Track’ models. With all the same complaints I’ve read on the Web, I’m amazed that Ecco has not addressed this. Or at the very least have a warning on the box.
I bring this subject up again because my wife and partner contacted me today from Sri Lanka to tell me the same thing happened to her Eccos––they decomposed while she was walking––just like mine. Imagine what it would like being away from everything on a trip and have your trusted ‘expensive’ walking shoes disintegrate––leaving you with a real problem.
With so many excellent shoe brands on the market, no one should have to go through this. For any serious traveler/outdoor person stay away from Ecco shoes––they’re expensive garbage. They can ruin your day, and a whole lot more . JD
I too had the same experience and just threw out the shoes thinking it was due to heat and humidity in Florida. Recently we had some cold weather and I went to put on my leather ecco boots and found that the hard rubber piece on the bottom of the heel was coming apart in pieces. I will take these to the shoemaker for better material for the heels but I am disgusted because I have to buy good shoes for my odd feet. LW
My exploding shoe soles were quite expensive Campers worn several times and mostly living in their shoe box, I thought being cared for. I tired of them but as my sister desperately coveted them, I felt very very generous one day and gave them to her. I thought they’re such great shoes, she should have them and enjoy them. She was thrilled. She took them out of the box, and the soles (black polyurethane moulded heels) just exploded like something from The Matrix. God what a pain in the butt.
I been reading some of this comments well I had two pair of ecco crumbling,two pairs of Italian shoes rubber sole same thing and today a pair of timberland the rubber sole just cracked and fell off on both shoes. why?? bottom line should we stop buying rubber sole shoes? or are the sole made as usual in China with inferior materials.
The same happened to me, the soles desintegrated… a local shoemaker change the soles for $15.00.
Just happened to me also. Expensive Ecco dress shoes worn only twice. Wore two years ago to a wedding and haven’t had out of their original box since. Off to buy something different.
The soles on my 6 year old Ecco shoes just crumbled under my feet last night on my way to a restaurant. Only about half of the soles are left after walking about a mile. Very interesting experience. It’s like they were designed to self-destruct. These shoes were about six years old and worn about 50 times.
Happened to me last week at work with a pair of 5y/o ecco’s. Fortunately I am in the medical field so I just put surgical shoe covers on them. Glad I wasn’t at a speaking engagement!
Mine just did the same thing on Mother’s Day. They are about 8 years old and infrequently worn.
I bought a brand new pair of bowling shoes and I hadn’t worn them for more that six games and the soles started delaminating, took them to shoe repair shop and they said there wasn’t anything they could do to fix them so I got some shoe goo and now they work fine but look like crap.
OMG! Too many stories to read here, but same thing happened to me on Father’s Day at Jean Georges in NYC!
I had this happen in a spectacular way with both my Windsor and Windsor Tie models. I called the US customer support line today (1-87-240-2365), and they are sending me a prepaid bag to collect the shoes. Fingers crossed for a voucher. I’ve had 5-6 other pairs of Ecco’s that did not do this, so it’s not a problem with the brand overall, but with specific models of shoes.
I can say that I have never bought any “dress shoes” from Ecco, however I have many pairs of their casual boot styles (8 pair to be exact). I wear a different pair every day to work and casual weekend dinners/bar. Love them, stylish, well built, the leather is awesome. No problems whatsoever. Will continue to buy when I need or want to. Maybe when the time comes I would need a dress shoe I might have to think about Ecco for it…but for now all is good.
I bought a lot of Ecco shoes over the past 20 years. Their comfort and quality have always been hit and miss. And when it’s a miss, it’s spectacular: I had three pairs whose soles disintegrated into crumbly little pieces while their leather uppers looked new; I had three pairs of sandals so uncomfortable they were impossible to wear. I never took any of them back. My most recent $160 purchase two months ago, Ecco Terratrail sneakers, had the top layer of material rub off of their toes after one time in the gym with carpeted floors. How ridiculous is this?! The shoes look brand new, except a “bold” spot on one of the toes. With the original sales receipt, packed in their original box, I took them to the retailer (Letellier Shoes in Ottawa, Canada). They contacted Ecco and told me it was wear & tear, suck it up, butter cup.
I live in the UK and have bought ‘comfort’ shoes for many years, often buying several pairs in the end of season sales and storing them for occasional use over many years. This was a sensible buying pattern for quality shoes made with traditional materials and methods. In the last ten years I have had one pair of boots and at least six pairs of shoes fail with disintegrating soles, some of them barely worn.
My elderly mother (who used to manage a shoe shop and is now 89) is visually impaired and hip/knee issues have left her with one leg significantly shorter than the other, requiring one of her shoes to have built-up heels and inserts to allow her to walk. The NHS allows her to have three pairs of shoes modified a year and she has just had three pairs I’d bought and given to her modified. The pair to one of the modified shoes (made by ecco) has just crumbled the first day she wore it after getting the shoes back from the hospital dept, and I am afraid that the others may do so. The crumbled shoe cannot be mended so one pair of her three is lost. My Mum’s vision is so poor that she cannot read or see to cook food, so she will be unable to inspect the soles for problems (which in my experience can disintegrate suddenly without warning). She is not that steady on her feet and at her age a fall could seriously shorten her life.
I feel very strongly that manufacturers should not be able to sell shoes with known issues without making the public aware of them at point of purchase. Buyers should know that they are buying comfort but have to gamble that the shoe may have a significantly shorter shelf life than they would expect from shoes made from traditional materials. This should influence the way they are worn, stored, and consumer buying patterns.
Any shoes with this construction should carry the date of manufacture and a warning on the box that the life of the shoe may be limited by the failure of the sole material (possibly within three years and that infrequent use may makes this process more likely).
I have not given up buying comfortable shoes, but I no longer buy ecco, reduce the number of pairs I buy, resist sales bargains, and try to ensure each is worn more frequently. Even so I’m sure I will be caught out again.
I have bought almost exclusively Ecco’ s over the past 15 years. The last pair I bought was from Nordstrom’s in Minneapolis. I am now on Long Island. My shoe is fine except for my exploded heel. Hardly worn. But I don’t see any ECCO stores – remotely close. Any suggestions about how to get a replacement?
Is there any comfortable alternative to Ecco Seawalkers? I have worn them exclusively for about twenty years. I have difficult feet. I don’t know what to do.
My husband had a pair of expensive dress Ecco shoes where the soles disintegrated. He complained and was given an exchange. Shortly after, I had the same thing happen and Ecco offered me a 50% off coupon even though the shoes were approximately the same age. Don’t ask me why he got better treatment than I. Next another pair of mine fell apart and I was offered nothing. They weren’t that old and hadn’t been worn much, but I left a trail of black pieces behind me as I walked. Last night I found that the soles on a pair of boots had disintegrated into a powdery, black residue that had been ground into my carpeting as I walked. Again, these boots hadn’t been worn much, so the soles were obviously defective. Please beware of these shoes as this problem keeps happening and Ecco does not seem able to correct it or provide any type of decent customer service.
I put on my Ecco shoes and when I started to walk, they were sticky feeling. I looked at the bottoms thinking I had stepped in something, but instead found the soles were literally falling off the shoes. I love my Ecco’s. What can be done? Can they be re-soled?
I have a pair of Ecco Shaker shoes that I had put away for several years…after wearing them a while and wondering why they were picking up gravel from my driveway, I found the soles were peeling off. I took them to two shoe repair places, both said they couldn’t repair them, that the sole was rotten. One said he told people never to buy Ecco shoes. I never will again.
Ive had my ecco shoes over a year worn them once.put them on on 3rd april 2o17 and they stuck to the floor.i started walking in them and the souls came off in chunks. I am a disabled 70yr old pensioner.ive left a message online noone has got back to me.i am disgusted will never buy from you again.
My partner was another unsuspecting victim of these self-destructiong Ecco shoes. We have in the last 4 months returned the very first pair of Eccos purchased around 6 years ago and again shoes that were hardly worn more than 6 times but had been unworn for probably the last 12 months. Was going to just bin them as I had no docket but thought I should at least let the store where I bought them from know what had happened (naively thinking I was the only one who could have had this happen to them!!)Glad I did as they did give me a store credit even without a docket and considering they were purchased 6 years ago. My satisfaction soon turned sour though as we have just this week had 2 more pairs of eccos disintegrate, I will return to the store to see how we go with these but it does make you wonder why we should have to spend store credit on more shoddy shoes. These shoes were also about 4 to 5 years old but with minimum wear, given the track record with this Ecco manufacturing issue any shoes returned with this obvious problem should be refunded for the purchase price no questions asked if Ecco want any sort of credibility to last into the future for their business. Would only ever spend in their store again on ancillary products eg: belts, bags, wallets etc so no further embarrassing malfunctions occur when out in public with these shoes!!
CAUTION: Be careful about taking advantage of EccoUSA’s policy of checking your shoes for defects/problems. They will provide you with a free mailer to send your shoes to them for inspection. I did this with my favorite pair of shoes with a note that I wanted them sent back to me since they were in very good condition except for a small sole issue. Instead, they sent me a gift card and destroyed my favorite shoes. They refused to return my shoes. I even wrote to their global headquarters, but received no answer. I wanted them to return my shoes as I had indicated in the note that accompanied my shoes to them or to have them make me a new pair. No response from global headquarters. This was a terrible experience for me with ECCO.