ECCO LEATHER - A HISTORY
As the owner of a growing shoe company in Denmark, ECCO founder Karl Toosbuy became dissatisfied by the limited resources offered by external leather producers. He decided that he could do better.
In 1985 he opened a small tannery in Portugal and started producing leather to his own high standards. Looking for that tacit 'know how' handed down through generations of craft, he recruited some of the finest talent from some of the finest tanning dynasties in Europe.
As his business expanded, so did the need for leather. He appointed a talented leather technician, Panos Mytaros, whose family had a history in leather production, and who embodied an unrivaled passion for the product and a keen interest in technology.
Panos and his team realised the need to bring leather making into the modern age. This required blending the best of European leather making skill, the development of cutting edge new technologies and the creation of a global production network including locations within Asia. All the while taking special care to preserve the final product's natural beauty and simplicity.
SOFT AND SUPPLE LEATHERS
Today the ECCO Leather Group today is comprised of four production units in The Netherlands, Indonesia, Thailand and China.
ECCO's tanning facilities produce the
finest premium leather. With more than 200 hands touching every piece of
leather, the craftsmanship and quality of ECCO leather is unsurpassed. In the tannery, the hides undergo a
tanning process to make them soft and breathable and are then pressed to
get the right look, feel and quality for the finished shoe.
While 85% of ECCO’s leather consumption is produced at ECCO’s own tanneries, the ECCO Leather Group also handles the external purchasing of the remaining 15%. ECCO Leather Group also sells leather to third parties. Over 33% of the Leather Groups’ production is sold to non-ECCO companies, companies who value the highest quality product.
The suppleness, flexibility and touch of our leathers ensure our shoes fit like a glove, and contribute towards the renowned ECCO walking experience.
To find out more about ECCO Leather production visit ECCO Leather.