In step with technology

Shoes with the thinnest sole ever and yak leather shoes are among the new innovations introduced by footwear brand ECCO in their spring summer 07 collection.

The company, established in 1963, has been at the forefront of shoe research and technology and specialises in shoes that combine style with comfort.

Super-light

This season they developed their thinnest sole ever to make "Spirit", an elegant sneaker for women. The soft leather shoe has a super-light outsole and ECCO's unique direct injected sole technology, which is flexible, comfortable and stylish and comes in cool summery colours.

ECCO is also the first shoemaker to use yak leather in footwear. The tanning process for yak leather was developed in the company's own research centres and tanneries and yak leather sneakers for men are now available in ECCO stores in the UAE. A women's range will follow later in the year.

Stronger

"Yak skin is three times stronger than cowhide, while also being light on the foot, flexible, breathable, soft with good shock absorption and durability. It offers everything that ECCO seeks when designing a shoe for the modern world," said Jens Hattab, CEO of J Square Ltd., ECCO's Middle East representative, during an event organised to launch the latest spring summer collections.

"We have something for everyone – from an infant's first shoes to footwear for children, men and women, from formal work shoes to casual, sport, performance and golf shoes and accessories. Our comfort-based technology is so advanced that we can apply it to all types of shoes to provide functionality, a great feel and a trendy look in one package," said Hattab.

"While other companies are outsourcing production we are integrated with our own tanneries, design and production facilities. We have control over quality and are able to develop new products and unique concepts," he added.

Among ECCO's unique innovations are the direct-injected polyurethane (PU) sole and the receptor technology plate.

"PU is lightweight, flexible, more durable than rubber and has excellent shock absorption qualities. Our PU injection process allows us to mould a leather welt over the PU core to create a classic business shoe that feels like a casual shoe, a fashionable yet comfortable heel in women's shoes and infant's shoes that provide the right support and flexibility to developing feet. Our golf shoes are also moulded and unlike other shoes with glued joints can better withstand the pressure of the swing motion," said Hattab.

"The ‘receptor technology' plate incorporated in our performance shoes replicates human barefoot motion through proper stimulation of the super-sensitive nerve endings called receptors in the feet," he added.

Highlights of ECCO's collection

For women:
The shoes are glamorous but without the pain usually associated with fancy shoes. Inspired by ‘50s Hollywood divas, the look is sensually feminine and elegant combined with casual modernity. The shoes are open toed, in soft leather with pastel colours and a powdered surface.

For men:
Loafers and pointed shoes are the major trend in men's city shoes spiking a more casual business look with a twist of cool.

For children:
The rainbow collection, inspired by the science of colours, has fashionable shoes for girls and rugged styles for boys.

Bags:
The bags are in rich leathers with handcrafted and discreet detail work such as cutout decoration and hand stitching. The colours include black, brown, gold, icy white, sand and teal blue.

Buying comfortable shoes

Be clear about where you will use the shoes and the frequency and duration of use.

One type of shoe cannot be used for the whole day. For different activities buy shoes specifically designed for those activities.

Try on both the shoes in a pair and take some time to walk around the store before buying.

Be careful while buying shoes for children, especially in the early years when the arch is not fully developed. Perfect fit and premium materials are important. The footbed should support the arch, the shoe should not restrain the foot but should provide some challenge to the muscles to develop properly. Avoid chemicals and look for vegetable tanned leather inners.