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Head to head
“The best golf shoe ever made”
Danish shoemaker ECCO is defying the global economy by boldly forging ahead
into unchartered territory, with a range of premium golf shoes for 2009 that is
broader than ever before: 10 men’s styles and 30 women’s, with the new Ultra
Performance shoe at the forefront. The ECCO philosophy is ‘never aim to be the
biggest, but always to be the best’, and David Learmonth (pictured), promoted
in the New Year to become ECCO UK’s commercial director, spoke to
Robin Barwick about how ECCO will match expectations in 2009
The Ultra Performance shoe is spearheading train shop staff. We are going to put even more
ECCO’s 2009 men’s range. Can this shoe live up to emphasis on how we look in store, on the shelf, and
its name? we are going to put more investment into making sure
We certainly believe so. ECCO has perfected the art shop staff can talk the ECCO story and the technology.
of shoemaking over the last 45 years and has been an At a time when the economy is struggling, we are
innovator in golf shoes for the last 10 years. All of this bringing something that is new and fresh to the
heritage and knowledge has come together within our market, we have a clear strategy and so we can
best ever golf shoe. confidently look forward to growth in spite of the
I understand ECCO’s Direct Injection process is a difficult [economic] situation.
crucial factor in the construction of the Ultra As a strong high street brand outside golf, will
Performance. Please explain what it is and why it ECCO sell its golf shoes on the high street too?
is so good. Some of our largest owned and operated stores do
Direct injection is a vital, and totally unique part of feature our best golf shoes, as they are a vital part of
ECCO's shoe construction. This highly technical process allows the our overall brand offering, but other than this we only sell our shoes via
Polyurethane (PU) midsole to be directly injected into a shoe mould, and leading golf outlets.
then bonded to the upper of the shoe with perfect adhesion - meaning no What proportion of the ECCO business does golf account for?
stitching and a seamless, watertight construction. Additionally, and in spite I’m afraid that’s confidential information - but suffice to say, golf is a
of its relatively light weight, the PU material provides vitally important part of ECCO's overall global
excellent shock absorption and durability throughout Fashion Life business, and will remain so in the years ahead.
the life of the shoe. Premier As a brand that is traditionally strong in the
Where are the shoes made? general women’s shoe market, is the women’s
At ECCO we manage all our own factories, with golf market very difficult in comparison?
our golf shoes made in both Europe and the Far East With our Ladies’ Casual and Formal shoes leading
(depending upon the shoe technologies used). the way in many premium high street shoe shops,
Crucially, we also ensure supreme leather quality by we have a head start in meeting the demands of the
owning all our own tanneries, the largest of these style-conscious female golfer. Without doubt, both
being in Holland, Portugal and Thailand. markets are highly competitive, but with our unique
The Ultra Performance has an RRP of £150. Can technologies and ever-increasing focus upon both
you really have high expectations for a shoe Ultra Performance performance and style we are in a great position to
with such a high price in a slow economy? Silver grow our market share in the years ahead.
We believe so, because we believe the Ultra There are many uncertainties in tournament
Performance is the best golf shoe ever made, and sponsorship around the world right now. Are
that in spite of tough economic times, the discerning ECCO’s associations with the Ladies’ European
golfer will be prepared to invest in quality. Tour and the Solheim Cup going to continue in
What else is ECCO bringing to the golf market 2009 and beyond?
in 2009? Yes they are. Being chosen by some of the world’s
ECCO is fantastically positioned to offer one of the leading players and being seen at some of the
most important areas that drive the market: innovation, which is absolutely biggest tournaments remains crucial to ECCO.
crucial within golf. If you don’t innovate in golf then you will stand still and How do you expect the European golf shoe market to perform in
eventually move backwards. We have taken our proprietary innovations, 2009?
such as Direct Injection as well as other technologies, and we have brought For sure it won't be easy, but as with most businesses, those that offer
them together in an entirely new collection, which is about a lot more than something different, and can keep the promises they make to customers
simply the Ultra Performance. Those that innovate the most generally come and consumers, will continue to prosper.
out on top. You have also got to look good in-store and you have got to www.eccogolf.com
18 SGB GOLF FEBRUARY 2009
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