Ecco is a brand of the company of the same name from Denmark, which produces men's, women's and children's shoes, as well as accessories and shoe care products. Used as natural materials(various leathers) and synthetic (polyurethane, polyester). The quality is quite high for its segment. The price category is above average. A wide range of, but in some branded stores it is far from fully represented.
Story
Ecco was founded by Danish entrepreneur Karl Toosby in 1963. From the very beginning, Ecco's goal was to create comfortable and functional footwear, with the greatest possible use. innovative technologies. The design was based on Scandinavian traditions, that is, it was minimalistic and sometimes boring.
The company grew rather slowly at first; success came to her in the 1970s. 1974 was marked by the beginning of the transfer of production to developing countries - a plant was opened in Brazil. Somewhat later, the equipment of the Danish factory was modified, simplifying manufacturing process. In 1981, the company's robotic plant was opened in Japan. And in 1982, the first Ecco brand store opened in Denmark.
The 1980s were marked by an intensive expansion of the Ecco factory network: in 1984, a company opened in Portugal, in 1988 in Czechoslovakia, in 1990 in the USA. At the same time, there is a significant expansion of the sales network: Ecco shoes began to be sold almost throughout Europe, including in countries whose citizens take the quality of the goods they buy very seriously: in Austria, Germany, Sweden.
On Russian market Ecco came in 1991; the same year was marked by obtaining the status of official supplier to the Royal Court of Denmark. New factories are opening in Indonesia and Argentina, and in 1993 in Thailand. The production of children's shoes begins.
By now, the number of factories has been reduced: production has ceased in countries with very expensive labor. Only enterprises in Slovakia, Thailand, China and Indonesia remain.
In 2009, Ecco introduced a new collection of shoes for people leading an active lifestyle - Biom sneakers, designed taking into account the anatomical features of people's feet and positioned as the most comfortable sneakers on the market.
In Russia, Ecco shoes became very popular among the middle class, the network of branded stores rapidly expanded: in 2008, the 200th Ecco store opened in Russia; the same year was marked by the launch of a branded online store. In 2011, Ecco comes to Kazakhstan.
Currently, there are more than a thousand Ecco stores in the world in 97 countries, including the USA, Canada, most European and Asian countries. The company employs more than 17 thousand employees, and it is still managed by the Toosby family - Karl Toosby's daughter Hanni Toosby Kapshak and her husband Dieter Kapshak.
Range
The Ecco model range includes a wide variety of shoes - both classic, in a more or less business (official) style, and casual ones; There is even sportswear - boots and sneakers. The colors are mainly black and brown, gray is less common, and purple, green, and blue are even less common. There are quite interesting design solutions, but not always: there are many boring models.
Upper materials used: nubuck, suede, smooth skin(usually cattle, less often yak); outsole materials: polyurethane and tunit (a type of rubber). Here it must be said that, strictly speaking, classic Ecco men's shoes are not such, since their soles are made of polyurethane, and not leather, as befits a classic. Ecco's pads are also not quite classic.
At the same time, it is worth noting that polyurethane soles are more practical than leather ones, and the Ecco company is focused on producing practical shoes - mainly for city dwellers leading an active lifestyle. The design of Ecco shoes is vulcanized and very durable (read more about shoe designs).
The quality of Ecco's shoes is quite high, although complaints have become more frequent lately. Ecco shoes are also distinguished by a comfortable, but not very elegant last (if we are talking about men's shoes); It allows air to pass through well and practically does not get wet (some models have a special membrane). There are, however, several unsuccessful models: be careful when trying on and buying.
Personal impressions. Reviews
My experience wearing Ecco shoes has been positive. Yes, these are very comfortable shoes that retain their functionality for a long time. appearance(if you treat it carefully), it serves reliably, does not get wet, and gives the impression of being reliable and of high quality. I would especially like to note high level service in Ecco stores, qualified and attentive salespeople. However, the design of these shoes is not too classic and not too elegant, in my opinion.
There are a variety of reviews on the Internet; most of them, however, are still positive. Many note convenience and comfort, wear resistance. They complain about cracked soles, calluses, and boring design. The problem with calluses, in fact, is easily solved - you need to select shoes exactly in size and immediately evaluate the sensations when trying them on. Yes, it is possible that the Ecco block will not suit someone - then you need to go to other stores. It’s the same with the design - if it seems boring, it’s better to pay attention to other brands.
Brief summary:
- Shoe styles : classic, sporty, casual.
- Range : shoes (shoes, shoes, boots, sneakers), bags, belts, wallets, umbrellas, caps, socks, shoe care products.
- Shoesfor men, women, children .
- Dimensions : women's - from 36 to 41, men's - from 39 to 47, children's - from 27 to 39.
- Materials : natural - smooth leather, nubuck, suede; synthetic - polyester, polyurethane.
- Price category : above average.
- Discount program : loyalty card: 5% discount (except for discounted models) for total purchases on the card up to 27,000 rubles, 10% discount for total purchases of 27,000-54,000 rubles, 15% discount for total purchases over 54,000 rubles.
Approximate prices (at the end of October 2012):
- Men's shoes - 4700-8000 rubles
- Men's boots - from 5,000 rubles (demi-season) to 7,000 rubles (winter)
- Women's shoes - 4700-5300 rubles
- Women's boots - from 5,000 rubles (demi-season) to 11,000 rubles (winter)
- Children's shoes - 2900-3500 rubles
- Children's boots - 3000-4400 rubles (demi-season), 3700-4700 rubles (winter)
- Sneakers (men's, women's) - 4500-10000 rubles
- Sneakers (children) - 3000-4400 rubles
- Men's bags - 2500-6500 rubles
- Women's bags - 2800-10000 rubles
- Belts - 2500-3000 rubles
- Umbrellas - 600-2000 rubles
- Caps - 240 rubles
- Socks - 300-700
- Shoe polish - 250-400 rubles
Links : official Russian website ;
Brand: ECCO
Tagline: Shoes for life
Industry: Tanning and dressing of leather, shoe production
Products: shoes
Owning company: ECCO
Year of foundation: 1963
Headquarters: Denmark.
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Profit before tax ECCO is an international company with its head office in Bredebro and factories in Portugal, Indonesia, Thailand, Holland, Slovakia and China, as well as 822 stores in 97 countries. ECCO came to Russia in 1991. The official exclusive distributor of the brand has become the company EKKO-ROS LLC, which represents a complete collection of men's, women's and children's shoes and accessories in Russia. In 2008, ECCO factories produced 13.117 million pairs of shoes. The company's European office is located in Amsterdam (Netherlands). In 2013, Russia took first place in the world in total sales of ECCO footwear, surpassing China and the USA, with total sales volume amounting to more than 3 million pairs of shoes. Accessories and related products are also sold under the ECCO brand: bags, belts, wallets, socks, skin care items, etc. Subsidiaries of the Russian ECCO were opened in 2012-2013. in Belarus and Kazakhstan. history of the companyIn 1963, the inhabitants of the small Danish town of Bredebro set out to attract industry to their region - South Jutland, located on the Danish mainland. They created a company and bought its shares for themselves - this is how funds appeared for the construction of a factory. By that time, Karl Toosby, who was working as a production manager at a shoe factory in Copenhagen, had the idea of starting his own business. He was confident that he would be able to realize his plans in Bredebro, where the factory was built, ready for sale at preferential terms. There was an abundance of skilled labor in the area and this community had already taken the initiative. From above, it is now clear that the project has exceeded all the expectations of its creators. Already today he is working at ECSO in Bredebro more people than life in the city at that time. Karl Toosbuy A modest setting, a handful of dedicated employees and an unwavering belief in the capabilities of its products were the foundation of ECCO in its early days. Carl Toosby sought to do everyday walking with pleasure, starting the production of comfortable, light, flexible, anatomically correct shoes - shoes that to this day have no equal in the whole world. Subsequently, several models were produced in quantities of more than 10 million pairs, and the Soft V and Tobular models were sold for 10 years.
Production workshop of the ECCO factory Quality, comfort and durability have been the cornerstones of ECCO for more than 40 years. Over the years, a small private company from a small Scandinavian country has managed to turn into a large international concern, and today ECCO shoes - shoes for life - can be purchased in any country in the world. In 1991, a significant event took place in the history of ECCO: the company received the honorary status of the official supplier of the Danish Royal Court, after which a crown icon appeared in its official logo.
The high quality and durability of ECCO shoes is primarily a consequence of careful processing of the leather. The company's production philosophy is that, unlike many manufacturers, ECCO carries out the full production cycle in the creation of footwear, controlling each stage (“from cow to shoe”). Managing all components of production is part of a strategy designed to ensure innovation and high quality products, more than 90% of which are exported. ECCO branded leather is successfully used not only in the footwear industry, but also in mechanical engineering, furniture industry, and even aircraft construction - the seats of many private aircraft are made from this leather. The quality and comfort of ECCO shoes is based on decades of experience and research. The company remains the most innovative enterprise in the industry, constantly investing in research and development and production technology. Each pair of ECCO shoes is the result of the use of high technology. All components are tested, and the tests carried out by ECCO significantly exceed the requirements of world standards. Testing the quality of shoes in real conditions is combined with complex computer tests. At first we bought Ekko shoes for ourselves - adults, and with the advent of our son, we also buy children's comfortable models. My friend once told me that there are shoes that don’t cause blisters, I asked: “Does that really happen?” After moving to St. Petersburg, I learned about the Ecco company. There really are no calluses from it I wore ECCO boots for 12 years Today, the Danish company ECCO is considered one of the most popular brands producing casual shoes. It is her shoes that combine functionality and comfort at the same time. The industrial enterprises of this company are located both in Europe and in some Asian countries. At the same time, the network of its branded stores is distributed throughout the world. It is worth noting that only this large company, which produces shoes, has established waste-free production, which allows you to significantly not only reduce waste every month, but also save on diesel fuel, since it is obtained in the process of processing waste from tanneries. History of brand developmentECCO owes its birth to Karl Toosby, who purchased the Bredebro plant in southern Denmark in 1963. It was on its basis that he opened his own business and became the first manager of this shoe company. Already in 1970, thanks to the daily work of many designers, the first ECCO brand shoes were released, which were distinguished by their comfort and functionality. It is these two features of this shoe that have been the main ones in the manufacturing process for many years now. But, as you know, any product needs appropriate advertising, and since the company had some financial difficulties during this period, it was proposed to stamp the company logo both on the top of the shoe and on its sole. Thus, the shoe company ECCO in this industry became the pioneer of such a fairly simple and cheap advertising of its products.
After another line of Soft shoes was introduced in 1981, the company had the opportunity to expand. And in the same year, in Germany, it opens its first branch, Eccolet Sko GmbH. And in 1982, an enterprise from ECCO appeared in Japan. The same shoe models are produced in this country, but with the help of Japanese robotic equipment. It is worth noting that 1984 for the company was marked by the opening of a new factory in Portugal and licensed production in Cyprus. Subsequently, ECCO opened similar enterprises in Sweden and Belgium. In addition, branches appeared in the USA, Austria and Poland. In turn, Argentina and Czechoslovakia received permission from the ECCO brand, thereby they were able to begin producing shoes using the company’s technology.
The most memorable year for ECCO was 1998, during which the brand’s founder was awarded the title of Knight of Dannebro. This award was presented by Queen Margrethe II herself. Also this year, a sculpture in the form of a foot, created by Peter Brandes, was installed in Tenner, near the headquarters of the ECCO company. In a short period of time, this new monument could become not only a symbol of this Fashion House, but also one of the main attractions of the city.
The next year was significant for ECCO in that it held its first charity event in support of the environment. The organizer of this evening was not only this brand, but also the Wildlife Protection Fund. This idea was also supported by the Cardiology Association and Street Kids International. During this event, a walking marathon was held, the length of which was about ten kilometers. It should be noted that now such charity evenings are traditional for the ECCO brand.
The beginning of 2007 was marked by the release new collection from the ECCO brand. These models were intended for people who prefer active recreation. To create models for this collection, the company's designers used natural and durable yak leather.
In mid-2008, the first company store under the ECCO brand opened in St. Petersburg. And this despite the fact that such shoes first appeared in Russia in early 1991. In addition to Russian representatives, employees of the Danish Embassy were also present at the opening. In the same year, the official website of the ECCO brand was created on the World Wide Web, where everyone could purchase shoes of this brand on-line. Due to its popularity, the ECCO brand became the official shoe supplier for the Kingdom of Denmark in 1991.
Despite the recently released shoe line, the ECCO brand introduces new BIOM models in 2009. This collection is also suitable for an active lifestyle. But its difference is that it takes into account all the features of the foot. Throughout 2011, several more new stores of this company were opened in Russia and Kazakhstan. Shoe design and features from ECCODuring the first years after its opening, the ECCO brand worked with designers who were developing shoe models for age category more than twenty-five years. At the same time, traditions and features of the company were laid. But over time, I had to lower the age limit to twenty years. For these purposes, new designers were brought in who were able not only to follow the main direction in the style of ECCO shoes, but also to increase its popularity. Today, quite a few shoe collections from the ECCO brand have been released, but the most popular are:
As for the features of shoes from the ECCO brand, the main emphasis is on the quality and practicality of the manufactured models. But despite this, there are other advantages, among which durability stands out the most. ECCO designers were able to achieve a similar result thanks to high-quality leather processing. High technology also plays a significant role. This is possible through the use of linings that easily absorb moisture and allow air to pass through. It all began in 1963 with the dream of Birte and Karl Toosby to create a shoe company that embodied Danish design and the philosophy of form following function. The idea of a company that will own its own production and control its development. Giving up stability and a regular job, the Toosby family sold their home and moved to Bredebro on the west coast of Denmark, just north of the German border. Karl and Birte Toosby and their 5-year-old daughter Hanni rented a small house and set out to transform an empty factory built by the local community to help create jobs. This is how the history of the ECCO brand began. 1963Founding of ECCO |
