As a wearer of Ecco Track II shoes for about 15 years - I have always told people they are the best shoes in the world - I bought a pair at an Ecco factory outlet here in Houston, a size 45 pair of coffee/black for 150.00.

And they are stiff, uncomfortable, a COMPLETELY different shoe than they have ever been.  This is my 4th or 5th size 45 pair and there is NO COMPARISON.  They changed the build process somehow.  They look pretty much the same, but the first difference I notice is that the insole is no longer removable.  The shoe is very stiff all the way around, pinches, is uncomfortable, feels too small in places, and makes my feet numb.  I used to hike around in the desert and national parks for dozens of miles with my Eccos, but these are completely unusable for hiking.

It is not just *one* thing, it feels like a completely different shoe all the way around.

How disappointing.  I am going to take them back.

UPDATE; According to a shoe salesman I spoke with, all Eccos in the US are now manufactured in China, this is the reason for the noticeable build difference from previous years

UPDATE II: i looked at a pair in the store the other day and they are once again made in I think it was Hungary but I didn't try them on. I felt around the front and inside the arch, and it didn't feel right.

UPDATTE III:

I bought another pair a few years ago, going to a size 46 from a size 45. As others have noted, it seems that the sizing has changed for these shoes; if you haven't bought a pair in several years you need to consider going up a size.

These shoes were marginally better from a comfort perspective. The leather quality is still not the same, the leather is stiff and far less comfortable, but not as horrible as the last pair that I bought.

WHAT DID HAPPEN is that one of the lace eyelets came off within a month or so of purchase; the leather holding the eyelet is very this and appears to be a workmanship consistency issue. I just bypassed the eyelet.

I just read online that the founder died in 2004, his kid took over. They subsequently reengineered their leather production process and moved their facilities around. Whatever they did with the Track II, they mucked up what was once a stellar product.

Lastly, a recommendation: do not buy shoes marked "Made in China". Those are the worst.