ECCO

ST1 Hybrid Plain Toe Tie

Men's

I love Ecco shoes. I have about 8 pairs of Ecco shoes. All of them are size 44. They are all great. Except for these. They feel at least one size, if not 1.5-2 sizes too big ... everywhere. In the arch. In the length. In the width. They look great but are as “un-Ecco” as I have experienced and I have been buying, and singing the praises, of Eccos for more than a decade. Worst part? I brought them on a work trip as my only dress-ish shoes and had to wear them (I just assumed they would be like all of my other Eccos and be great) so now I can’t return them. I guess my bad for trusting the brand. Just frustrating.

For some, this shoe is in between sizes. I have worn a 44 in Ecco for years. Historically, Ecco shoes were more rounded and broader at the toe. Styles have changed to a more tampered toe. My guess is that, in order for the toes to have room in a box in a tapered shoe, Ecco extended the length a bit. Physically, the shoe is longer than traditional Ecco styles ( i.e. the Seawalker) of the same size. The test should come at the ball of the foot, not the toes. If the ball falls on the wide part of the upper, where the shoe bends, then that size should be a fit. Though physically longer than the traditional 44, the ball of the foot for this shoe hits me exactly where it should. As to width, this shoe is a full medium; that is, it almost is an E width but not quite. If you order a size down (e.g.a 43 for 44 as some of the reviews suggest) the shoe is extremely narrow at the toe, and the ball of the foot falls in front of the wide spot where the shoe should bend if it fits. That happened to me when I ordered a 43 instead of a 44 as those reviews suggested. It was way to short at the ball and narrow at the ball of the foot. The arch support hit at the wrong spot on my foot. I reordered a 44. It feels a bit long in the toe, but everything else feels very good. Cushioned insole, good arch support, great looks (business or dressy casual work). A bit pricey, but it is an Ecco after all.

All the Eccos I own are size 44, and I love them. In this shoe, the 44 was too long. Read the reviews: they say get the shoe a size smaller. So i returned the 44 and bought a 43, it seemed to fit well in the house. But when I wore it to walk a mile to work, it gave me a terrible blister on top of a toe. I can't wear this shoe, and now I can't return it. Why did Ecco change the fit? I feel betrayed.

Another great pair of Eccos. Received compliment from total stranger at the airport. My only complaint is that it is annoying to re-lace new shoes.

I don't know why people are saying these run big. I consistently wear a 46 in Ecco shoes and took the advice from previous reviews that I should order a size smaller. Imagine my surprise when the shoes arrived and were too small. Should have listened to the Zappos recommendation that I order my usual size. Returning and looking forward to getting a pair that fit.