In partnership with ECCO

I think it’s safe to say that Tønder, a small town of 7,477 people located at the border of Denmark and Germany, is a niche travel destination. So, when I was invited to travel there with ECCO, I figured this could be the perfect reason for me to explore the Danish region of Southwest Jutland, in some of the comfiest shoes possible.

Accessed via your nearest city, in my case Hamburg, the town of Tønder and its neighbouring Bredebro are the unexpected home of footwear empire ECCO. Founded in 1963 by Karl Toosbuy, the brand remains loyal to its hometown and region, as well as to its founder, with the business still family run to this day from the town of Tønder. It was a pleasant shock to realise that a global business operating in over 100 markets globally would decide to retain its head office in such a humble and quiet town; but the more I explored the more I realised how the peace and isolation are an asset to innovation.

There is room to breathe at ECCO. An oasis in the heart of farmland, they have created a campus of accommodation, recreation and business built amongst livestock and crops. On arrival, we are welcomed by the iconic ECCO Foot sculpture in the field out the front of ECCO HQ – the artwork surrounded by three ponies (naturally).

The sculpture is an apt representation of the core ethos of ECCO – ‘form follows foot’. The entire ECCO business pivots around the foot and what it needs to be comfortable - a core inspiration for all their shoes. It’s this throughline that continues to prompt inspiration since the brands inception; especially for Design Director Niki Tæstensten “It’s not about reinterpreting that philosophy season after season, but rather constantly developing, rethinking and innovating how we translate it for the wearer.”

I was able to put ECCO’s comfort claim to the test on this trip, as having a mere 72 hours in Tønder meant a lot of exploring to do. Within a day, I would switch from a professional heeled leather boot for exploring ECCO’s studios and factories (where we got to see the patented full injection shoes being made, and how the unique lasts (aka foot forms) are hand created) to a comfortable sneaker like the Biom C-Trail when exploring Schackenborg Castle and running to take photos of horses just 10 minutes away. My feet were ready to party on, but my jet lag wouldn’t let me.

In a world that has become obsessed with fitness and wellbeing, brands like ECCO are bridging the gap between fashion and function. With a focus on the physical needs of a good comfortable shoe, but an awareness of the emotional comfort that great design provides, ECCO lands in a sweet spot of functional fashion forward footwear that is designed to last. They have a confidence in their product, and a Danish minimalism and effortless to their designs, that has caught the eye of the likes of Chloe Sevingy, Zendaya, Dua Lipa and Jennifer Lawrence. Specifically, the Sneakerina to sneak them all; the ECCO BIOM lite sneakers.

ECCO doesn’t give into the relentless trend cycles but maintains a diverse range of footwear for any occasion and any wearer. They don’t target a demographic or a specific group – if you have feet and are going to walk around, and want to look good doing so, ECCO is for you. This same energy has been carried since its inception, as I realised when given a peek into the ECCO archives. Iconic shoes since 1963, my exclusive peek into the vault revealed that they truly have always been at the forefront of style and comfort, with the brand’s past collections a strong source of inspiration for their future.

The future of ECCO is bright. Owning all their own tanneries and factories, and creating their own patented technology, means they are running their own race against a market of mass production. And design-wise innovation is ripe, not only in their main lines but with ECCO Kollective, the experimental design studio that focuses on collaborations with designers who ‘get it’ (such as Louis-Gabriel Nouchi, Ottolinger, Craig Green, Natacha Ramsay-Levi and Kiko Kostadinov to name a few). While we wait for the ECCO Kollective to expand into the Australian market, please see below some of my favourite moments from my time in Tønder with ECCO.