ECCO Sko A/S is a Danish shoe manufacturer. The company was founded in 1963 by Karl Toosbuy in Bredebro, and now operates more than 3,000 shops worldwide, selling an extensive range of men's, women's, and children's shoes, and manufactures 12 million pairs of shoes each year. The company is owned by Hanni Toosbuy Kasprzak, daughter of Karl Toosbuy who died in 2004.

Production

It owns tanneries in the Netherlands, Thailand, Indonesia, and China, and has engaged in a research program to reduce the environmental impact of the tanning process. ECCO's shoes are produced in factories, either under its own ownership or under license, in a number of countries including Slovakia, Japan, Cyprus, Thailand, Indonesia, Portugal and most recently, China and India. It projects a brand image of a combination of comfort and style, generally operating at prices that are a little above average for the mass market while remaining within reach for a wide range of consumers. Many of ECCO's dressier shoes now use fiberglass shanks instead of the more popular metal shank, making them airport friendly, however, with new shoe removal procedures at airports worldwide, this value is not as significant as it once was. ECCO began making golf shoes in 1999 and unveiled a running shoe in 2004.

International

The company has expanded its operations into markets in Asia and in Eastern and Central Europe. ECCO has also expanded to Canada and the United States, through other independent retailers and online sales, although there are limited number of mono-brand stores operated by the company. The largest ECCO store in the United States is located in the Kierland Commons in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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