Walking Home: Media Trip to Denmark with Global Footwear Brand ECCO
I was born and raised in Denmark, but having lived in Sydney, Australia for the last 15 years, there’s something really special about going home for me.
Denmark is the cool, calm and collected country but still, always at the forefront of fashion, tech and sustainability, so when I returned to Denmark with ECCO - a brand I’ve worn my entire life - it felt like more than a just a media trip. It felt like walking back into a part of my own story.
ECCO has always been a household name in Denmark. It’s one of those brands that quietly does everything right. Beautifully made, incredibly comfortable shoes that never scream for attention, but somehow end up being the pair you wear the most. So being invited to their home base in Tønder, in Southern Denmark, to experience the brand from the inside out, was something special.
Where Heritage Meets Modern Design:
From the moment we arrived at ECCO’s headquarters - a vast, tranquil space surrounded by green countryside - it was clear that this wasn’t just a company; it was a world built on precision, craftsmanship, and care. Something you don’t often see anymore.
We met the people behind the brand: artisans, designers, tanners, and engineers who spoke about their work not as a job, but as a legacy. ECCO is still family-owned, and that shows in everything they do. The sense of pride, the humility, the obsession with quality that feels almost old-fashioned, but in the best possible way.
ECCO’s CEO, Thomas Gøgsig, summed it up perfectly: “Our vision is to give consumers comfort, quality, and shoes made for walking.”
It sounds simple, but that simplicity is radical. In an industry obsessed with trends, ECCO’s commitment to walking - the most human, everyday act - is quietly revolutionary. They make their own shoes in their own factories, craft their own leathers in their own tanneries, and stay rooted in what they’ve always done best: shoes that are designed for real life.
Their Design Director, Niki Tæstensen, talked about ECCO’s mantra: “Form follows foot.” I loved that. It’s such a beautiful play on the design principle “form follows function,” but with a human touch. Everything they design starts with the shape, movement, and comfort of the foot itself. It’s an idea that’s both poetic and deeply practical - and you can feel it the moment you slip into a pair of ECCOs.
Craftsmanship That Feels Like Connection:
One of the most memorable parts of the trip was visiting ECCO’s in-house design and research centre. Imagine rows of sketches, prototypes, and sculpted leather pieces, all representing decades of innovation. I met artisans who had been working there for generations. People who had learned from their parents and grandparents. You could feel the pride in their hands.
It struck me that ECCO’s genius isn’t just in making shoes. It’s in preserving a way of making. They’ve managed to blend the best of heritage craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology, without ever compromising on the heart of what they do. You can see it in their tanneries, which are among the best in the world, and in their willingness to constantly reinvent how things are done.
One of their biggest breakthroughs, DriTan™ technology, completely reimagines the leather-tanning process by using the moisture already present in hides - saving over 25 million litres of water a year. And instead of guarding that technology as a trade secret, they shared it with the entire industry. That says everything about who they are: innovative, but generous.
Sustainability Through Longevity:
We talk about sustainability a lot in fashion, but ECCO reframed it in a way that stuck with me. Thomas said something I keep coming back to: “The single biggest impact we can have is to just use our things more.”
It’s so simple, and so true. ECCO’s philosophy isn’t about chasing buzzwords. It’s about building things that last. Their shoes are designed to be worn for years, not seasons. Every pair is made with intention, precision, and durability, ensuring that comfort and quality go hand-in-hand with environmental responsibility.
They’re also doing tangible things locally, like partnering with Tread Lightly in Australia to recycle old shoes into playground surfaces and retail flooring, keeping thousands of pairs out of landfill. And on a global scale, they’re pushing towards energy-neutral operations by 2028 and 90% waste recovery by 2026.
It’s refreshing to see a brand that understands sustainability not as marketing, but as craftsmanship. Because when something is made to last, that’s the most sustainable design of all.
The Feeling That Stayed With Me:
Over those three days in Tønder, surrounded by the soft rhythm of the Danish countryside, I kept thinking about how rare it is for a global brand to still feel this human. Everyone I met, from the shoemakers to the leadership team, had that quiet Danish confidence, grounded and thoughtful. There’s no ego in their work, just an unwavering dedication to doing things the right way.
I left feeling deeply proud. Not just as someone who got to experience it, but as a Dane - even if I’m also an Australian Citizen now.
It reminded me that design at its best isn’t loud or performative. It’s thoughtful, functional, and built with care for the person who’ll live in it. That’s what ECCO does so well - they make walking feel like connection. To yourself, to nature and to others.
It also reminded me, in a broader sense, why I love working in this industry. Because when brands stay true to their DNA, when they lead with purpose instead of just trends, they don’t just make beautiful things, but they make things that mean something.
Final Thoughts:
I’ve worn ECCO shoes my whole life, but after seeing what goes into making them; the craftsmanship, the research, the design philosophy and the people, I now understand the brand on a whole new level. It’s not about just making shoes. It’s about walking forward, consciously and intentionally. Something I believe we could all learn from.
If I could sum up what I took away from the trip, it would be this: Heritage isn’t about holding onto the past. It’s about evolving it with intention. And ECCO is doing exactly that - honouring where they’ve come from, while walking boldly into the future.
