ECCO mens Helsinki Bike Toe Tie Oxfords Shoes Review

I love these shoes. In fact, I love them so much I just bought the exact same pair, four years later. My previous pair is still in very good condition. In fact, I get compliments on them every couple of months - and they've been used hard. I am a school teacher, and these have been my every day shoes. I first bought these shoes because I was having knee and lower back pain. After reading reviews about the injection molded one piece sole, I decided to get them. Very comfortable out of the box, and have stayed that way straight through today.I have used them to climb steep ravines, to play kickball, to play tag. I have worn them on concrete, tile, and industrial thin carpet. I have gone walking in them for miles (sometimes 5 or 6 miles, after a day of work), and my feet feel good. Tired, sure, and somewhat sore, but it's the same as I would expect from any great shoe after a day on my feet - and they look really good. I wear these with a grey suit sometimes, and they look perfectly appropriate. And what was most important to me - no more lower back or knee issues.The best part is that they have held up beautifully - and I don't usually say things like that. I do use a cedar wood shoe tree every night ($20) - which I think has helped immensely. I also use a horsehair shoe brush ($25) almost every time I take them off - just a 10 second brush up while they're still on my feet. Every six months or so, I use a leather conditioner. About once a year I used a leather cleaner. There has been a slight separation along the inside of the toe box, which I will include in a picture. The sole is not exactly pulling away from the shoe - but where before the sole rubber was tight against the leather, now I can pull it about a quarter inch away. I think it may lead to dirt getting in there, so I may glue it back together. There is also a very slight separation between the fabric and leather at the top of the opening where the ankle sits. The shoes are still in very good condition, and I plan to keep wearing them. I have been advised that using two separate pairs of shoes, alternating them every other day extends the life of the shoe greatly, so I will probably begin doing that. They certainly still look good enough to wear anywhere. In fact, I feel a little guilty about including the old shoes in the photos. If I went over them with a leather cleaner and conditioner they would look much better. I may do that and upload an updated photo. For now, here they are, for better or for worse.No I was not paid to write this review. No I did not receive anything for free (although if Ecco wanted to send me another pair of these in black, I would accept them happily ;) They are just great shoes, and I wanted to share the love. Buy them - I think you'll love them.

I was super glad these fit larger than expected. I was concerned as I normally wear an "E" size width and blow out the outside stitching on many shoes not in a wider fit. Was hesitant to order these since they don't come in a wider size but have been wearing these several times/week for a few months now. They fit great and are comfortable with little concern for a blow out. Dumped the Bostonian brand as their quality went to the tank with a different place of manufacture from what I read. This brand was recommended for its quality of construction from an acquaintance and a few months in I can say I have no complaints. They hold their shine very well and still look almost like new without having put polish to them even once yet. A great quality shoe that lead me to buy the another Ecco in cap toe. https://www.amazon.com/ECCO-Helsinki-Cap-Toe-Oxford-10-10-5/dp/B002AMW0PE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473883230&sr=8-1&keywords=ecco+cap+toe

I have a very hard time finding shoes which fit my feet properly. I have neither high arches or low, but if a shoe has too much arch, or the heel cup dips too much behind the arch, it puts pressure just forward of my heel, and my feet hurt. When my feet hurt, I am not a nice happy person. As such, buying shoes online is not practical for me. But I've found that Ecco's quality control is very good, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I was not disappointed. The odd thing for me is, this particular shoe in size 42 EU fits my normally US 9.5+ feet very well. I could not say that this would be the same for anyone else. Then again, as long as there is length enough for my big toe, I prefer to wear my dress shoes a little tight and break them in for perfect fit. This is especially true for ones I wear commuting to work and for going to trade shoes, where I'll be on my feet all day. These take just a little time to break in, but once they do, they are wonderful. Mine are so comfortable, I could probably walk further in them than any other shoe I own. The last pair were so comfortable, I wore them nearly every day for over a year and a half before the heel started to compress to the point where they started to hurt (as is the fate of all shoes I've ever owned). These also cost considerably less on Amazon than the local department store.

I purchased the ECCO Helinski to wear during CES 2015. If you are not familiar with CES, it's the Consumer Electronic Show in Vegas than spans the Vegas Convention Center (in its entirety), Westgate (the old Hilton), the Sands Expo center and the Venetian. Needless to say, it's quite a bit of walking. With these shoes, I put in a good 25 miles, which included the new and old Vegas strips. I have never been more pleased with a pair of shoes. These exceeded my expectations by not only being very comfortable, but also having a terrific amount of support. Not only are they perfect for a ton of walking, they are also quite professional looking. I would absolutely recommend them.The only worry I have is they seem to show a very slight wear after a little over a week. Granted the particular week had a lot more walking than normal, it still makes me a bit wary of how they will hold up in the long term. Not enough to take off a star, but enough to mention.All in all, if you are in need of professional looking footwear for a trade show or expo, these would be perfect.

I would have given the shoes a 5 star rating but the laces are cheap and it is a little annoying to spend this much money on a pair of shoes just to have to buy new laces a month into wearing them. And I know even a good pair of laces is only a couple bucks, but that is really just a good argument for my comment! It isn’t about the money but the hassle. Other than that though the shoes themselves have been great. Almost no break-in period, comfortable, and I definitely like how they look.