Ecco Helsinki - Black, Bicycle Toe, Lace-up

I purchased a pair of EUR 45 Helsinki's from the local Walking Company store after they fitted me with their Orthotic arch support insoles. I found that the standard Ecco insoles weren't that cushy or comfortable. With the Walking Company orthotics, they gave a much better feel for long periods of time.

The Helsinki is supposed to sport Ecco's special direct injected polyurethane soles, which is my primary driver for purchasing Ecco. A co-worker did a research project on Ecco for her final assignment in the MBA program and raved about how long-lasting the soles are. Doing some independent research, I found a few complaints about hydrolysis from the Ecco soles but only from people that rarely wore their Ecco shoes. I plan to wear these on a daily basis for work, and my experience has been that I will burn through heels/soles within 1-2 years no matter if they are cheap Cherokee shoes from Target or expensive shoes from clothing stores. I don't like leather soles or stiff soles because I need to be able to feel the pedals while driving a manual transmission car.

The Ecco soles are polyurethane but they are also inherently soft and pliable. I am able to wear them for 8-9 hours a day in the office and not complain about them being too hot or uncomfortable. The Ecco Helsinki is lined on the inside with a 3D mesh similar to what backpack manufacturers use for the part that touches your back for improved ventilation. Alpinestars uses this 3D mesh for the inside of their leather motorcycle racing suits and claims it is an anti-bacterial design that promotes ventilation. I find that the same holds true for the Ecco Helsinki as my feet never felt overly sweaty in the heat and I didn't feel the typical "vacuum" feel when wearing unlined leather shoes.

The leather is of a decent quality, and takes a good enough shine using bees wax or Lexol conditioner. Ecco is supposed to be vertically integrated, so they manufacture and process all of their materials and products, so even if it is made in China or Europe, they should all be made by Ecco. The soles are noticeably thicker than your standard rubber soles, and it awaits to be seen whether hydrolysis will cause the soles to deteriorate or wear out faster. For the price, the Ecco's are very nice and blow the competition out of the water.

Overall: 4/5 stars, great overall design, not bad for the price, but hopefully the tread doesn't break apart, the included insoles aren't that good