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FASHION & CONSUMER DEMAND
34
WORLD FOOTWEAR | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012
There has been a lot of talk about the barefoot revolution, in both trade and consumer
press over the past couple of years. With the launch of the BIOM collection in 2009, Ecco
had already integrated the trend into its sports footwear, but it has added to this for
summer 2013 with a unique product: running shoes made from unlined yak leather.
Barefoot shoes,
Danish style
I
t is typical of Ecco’s way of doing things that it has used
unlined yak leather in a super lightweight running shoe in
its summer 2013 collection. Ecco has, with its BIOM
collections, finally broken into the sports category. The
company has been known for its high quality and
comfortable shoes worldwide, since it was founded in 1963,
but struggled to shake off its anti-fashion, comfort image,
especially in its home market in Scandinavia.
With its move into retail in the Far East, Ecco had a fresh
slate and became a high quality aspirational label there. It
has gradually moved into sports, using its wide technical
resources and knowhow – moving into various categories
only when ready.
A start in sports
The first Ecco sports line was golf shoes, launched in
1996, and the company soon became a sponsor of high-
profile Danish golfer Thomas Bjørn. In 2000 the company
started working with the Panum Institute, part of the
University of Copenhagen, with one of the specialists there,
Finn Bojsen-Møller, on biomechanics (from which BIOM
gets its name), and developed technical walking shoes, a
natural extension for the brand. Then came a training shoe,
with the addition of running and outdoor in 2009. In 2009
the first BIOM running shoe was launched. It already had a
very distinctive Ecco look with its wrap around external PU
outsole and slightly asymmetric toe shape.
European lasts
Although aimed at sports, the Ecco BIOM collection has
always had the company’s DNA. For example, the BIOM
shoes are made using the same European sizes and fittings
as the brand’s casual shoes, so customers can easily try
them on for fit. This is totally different from most running
and sports shoes, normally made using US lasts, which can
cause problems due to US-European conversions. This sees
consumers often having to buy one or two sizes larger, and
to try several pairs on to get the right size.
Alex Nicolai comes from a background of elite sports,
having completed 12 Ironman long distance triathlons and
run several marathons; he is now a marathon coach. He has
a diploma in sports medicine from the University of Mainz
in Germany and a Master in sports economics from the
PENNY LEESE