Ecco Shoes Ireland: Buying and Fit Guide

Ecco is one of the most asked-for brands on our footwear floor, and also one of the most misunderstood. People either swear by them or have never tried a pair, and the gap between those two groups is usually down to one thing: Ecco fits differently to almost everything else on the rail, and nobody explains why.

This is what we tell people in the shop.

What makes an Ecco different

Ecco was founded in 1963 by Karl Toosbuy in Bredebro, a small town in southern Denmark. The company still does something almost nobody else at this price does: it owns its own tanneries, so the leather in the shoe was tanned by the same company that made the shoe.

The construction is the other half. Most shoes have the sole stitched or glued to the upper. Ecco uses direct injection — the sole is moulded straight onto the leather under pressure, with no stitching and no adhesive at the join. That is why an Ecco feels lighter and more flexible out of the box than a traditionally made leather shoe, and why the sole does not separate at the toe the way a glued shoe eventually does.

The trade-off is that a direct-injected sole cannot be replaced by a cobbler. A welted shoe can be resoled indefinitely; an Ecco cannot. You are buying a shoe that will outlast most of its competitors and then be finished, rather than one you resole every few years.

Sizing: the part that catches people out

Ecco is a Danish brand and works in European sizes. Our shop sizes are UK, so here is the rough conversion:

  • UK 6 = EU 39/40
  • UK 7 = EU 41
  • UK 8 = EU 42
  • UK 9 = EU 43
  • UK 10 = EU 44
  • UK 11 = EU 45
  • UK 12 = EU 46
  • UK 13 = EU 47

European sizing runs in whole steps rather than half sizes, so there is no EU equivalent of a UK 8½. If you are a half size, the guidance below matters more than usual.

Ecco runs generous through the width. This is the single most useful thing to know about the brand. Their lasts are built around the shape of a foot rather than around a narrow silhouette, which is why they suit broader feet so well — and why someone with a narrow foot can find them roomy.

So: if you have a wide foot, or you have given up on leather shoes because they pinch across the ball, Ecco is the first brand to try. If your foot is narrow and you are between sizes, take the smaller. For everyone else, take your usual UK size.

Which style

Byway and Irving — the classic low lace-up shoes. Smart enough for work, casual enough for a weekend, and the most useful Ecco to own if you are buying one pair.

Metropole and Lite Hybrid slip-ons — leather slip-ons with a cushioned sole. The easy option, and popular with anyone in and out of the car all day.

Byway 2.0, Move and Astir — the leather and nubuck trainers. These sit in the smart-casual space rather than the sports one: leather uppers, clean shapes, and far more comfortable than a court trainer over a long day.

Biom and Exostride — the walking and trail end of the range, built on Ecco's anatomical Biom last. Buy these if you walk properly rather than occasionally.

Gore-Tex styles — worth the extra in Ireland if the shoe is going to be your winter pair. A Gore-Tex membrane is genuinely waterproof rather than water-resistant, which is a different thing entirely in February.

Looking after the leather

Ecco leather is good and it rewards small amounts of attention.

Wipe salt and mud off the same day — salt from a wet path draws moisture out of leather and leaves a white tidemark that is very hard to shift later. Use a cream polish rather than a wax on smooth leather, and a brush and a rubber block on nubuck rather than anything wet.

If they get soaked, stuff them with newspaper and dry them away from a radiator. Direct heat is what cracks leather, and a pair dried on a range or a storage heater will never recover.

Rotate two pairs if you can. Leather needs a day to dry out between wears, and a pair worn every single day will last roughly half as long as the same pair worn every second day.

Shop the range

Browse all Ecco footwear at Patrick Bourke Menswear, or see the wider smart casual shoes, formal shoes, men's trainers and boots ranges. Our guide to trainers, smart casual and formal shoes covers which pair suits which occasion.

We stock Ecco across four floors on High Street in Ennis, Co. Clare, and we will measure you properly — which for this brand in particular is worth the ten minutes. Free delivery on orders over €89 across Ireland, and click and collect on everything.