ECCO Shoes Melted Into Carpet.

[whirlcool]

About 5 years ago I bought a very expensive ($350.) pair of ECCO shoes from Nordstrom. I normally don't spend that much on shoes, but they were the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. The saleslady told me they would last virtually forever.

At this price point I would have expected leather soles, but these were one piece (heels/soles)rubber. The style is a plain brown lace up dress shoe.

And they are very comfortable to wear. The tops of the shoes still look like new. The bottoms even showed no wear as these shoes are infrequently worn since I have retired.

A few months ago I wore them to a restaurant and as I was walking across the floor of the restaurant I was thinking "the carpet in this place sure is lumpy". When I got to my seat I saw a trail of large black chunks on the carpet where I had walked. I looked at the bottom of my shoes and found large holes in the soles and heels of my shoes. They were like chunks missing. Needless to say, I was not happy the rest of the night about this.

The next morning I called Nordstrom to tell them that this had happened. I was told that the shoes were old and they hinted that I was barking up the wrong tree.
But the woman did say that the store manager would be glad to see the product and interview me about my experience. She asked if I would like to make an appointment with him?

So I declined and I tried to contact ECCO themselves via e-mail through their website (Customer Service Link). To date none of my three e-mails sent over a month long period have been answered.

So I put these shoes back in the closet thinking I would just get the bottoms of them resoled and reheeled with leather. This afternoon I went into the closet (which is climate controlled) and found both pairs of shoes have melted into the carpet! I eventually was able to pull them off the carpet but it left behind a lot of little rubber chunks in the carpeting in the closet where the shoes sat. Is there any way to get these out? Or do I just have to replace that carpet?

What do you all make of this? I have never seen anything like it before!

 

[arbilab]

Melting rubber was a 'feature' of several tape recorder brands in the 70s. Wait long enough the belts literally turned to liquid. Never heard of shoes doing it but it's definitely possible to make bad rubber.

 

[stan]

Out of curiosity

where were these shoes made?

 

[rp2813]

Allen,

I think you should still pursue this with Nordstrom.  There is a big difference between five years and the sale person's claim of forever.

 

I had a melted rubber experience on a much smaller scale.  For a Victrola I used to own, I had a friend who did repairs on these machines re-build the "Exhibition" model soundbox on it for me because the rubber O-ring was dried out, causing an annoying rattle when playing records, and the rubber mounting piece on the back was hard as a rock.  The replacement mounting rubber was very soft and pliable.  Within five years or less, during which time I didn't use the machine much, one day I opened the lid to find the rubber liquified and in a puddle on the turntable.

 

I don't know if this type of failure is due to a "bad batch" of rubber or what, but considering how much you paid for those shoes, they should have lasted more than five years.  I have a pair of Macy's house brand of topsiders that I've owned for decades and I still slip them on for kicking around the house sometimes.  They probably cost me 1/10 of what you paid for your ECCO pair.

 

[jimb]

Maybe solvent is the issue...

I have a theory. The restaurant recently had their carets cleaned and there was solvent residue left in their rug. That residual solvent attacked the rubber on the soles of your shoes.

At that point, the soles were dissolving due to the solvent left on them and they continued to dissolve in your closet.

Any time you have rubber deteriorating like that, set them on a folded up paper bag instead of your rug.

Just a theory.

 

[fido]

Yes, I also wondered if you have trodden in some spilt battery acid or something somewhere. If it was a manufacturing defect the manufacturer and probably the shop would already be aware of it. I had a Royal Enfield motorcycle which was made in India. When I bought it some of the rubber components were perished so I fitted new ones. A year later the new ones were perished but these machines are built to be affordable to Indians, who are not a wealthy nation. They probably skimp on the chemicals that stabilise the rubber to keep the price of the bikes low enough. It would not be worth a quality shoe manufacturer making such trivial cost savings if it could jeopardise their reputation.

 

[tolivac]

I wonder if food grease residue in the restuarants carpet was the culprit-the carpets in such places can get soaked with grease residue from cooking and food dropped on the floor.The shoes soaked up the grease-and then melted into your carpet at home.Guess a talk with both Nordstrom and the shoe maker would be in order-Certainly it wasn't something of your doing-you would expect shoes to last-esp at that cost-no matter what you walked on-unless it was hot coals?Food and petroliuem grease can attack rubber.

 

[whirlcool]

Thanks for your responses guys.
I have never seen anything like this before. The shoes inside are marked "Italy".

It is really strange.

The restaurant was a high end steakhouse (Morton's). But remember the shoes started disintegrating as soon as we got there. I would think if it was the carpet it would have had happened to other diners.

Maybe it was defective rubber and it could have had a reaction with the carpet that was in the closet over time? (Wool blend).

 

[danemodsandy]

Don't Know If This Helps.....

But I had a similar experience with a pair of Nunn-Bush loafers made in Italy some time ago. The sole/heel unit just disintegrated, quite suddenly.

Wonder if there's something about Italian-made synthetic rubber?

 

[joelippard]

Aparently you're not the only one

See this link.

Complaints Of Ecco Shoe Soles Disintegrating Still Keep Coming - National Consumer News | Educating and helping U.S. consumers | Disclose Fraudulent Advertising | Providing News On Lowest Prescription Prices |

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7fSt8i_DAI This YouTube video was posted in 2016 Complaints about the high priced Ecco shoes falling apart have been filed on consumer sites for more than 16 years - including on ours. In-fact our column on it from 14 years ago has been the most viewed post out...

ctwatchdog.com

 

[jamiel]

I had the same problem with a pair of shoes I'd stored away in the box for several years...first time wearing the soles disintegrated. Apparently the ozone in the atmosphere attacks the rubber and they fall apart. Not dissimilar to yellowing of white plastic handles etc. These shoes were apparently several seasons old when I'd bought them, then I put them away as well. Oh well...

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I had a pair of dress shoes I was walking in do that to me, too... And I was in California...

Wonder if it was the heat of downtown Los Angeles or the fact that these shoes were old?

My wife & I went there to attend a wedding and I had to go to it in gym shoes (which at least were black, but so informal looking that everyone was staring at 'em, while I had to cough up an explanation that the soles on my dress shoes wore right off & could no longer wear 'em!)...

-- Dave

 

[gansky1]

This is very strange, it does sound like the rubber soles were exposed to something caustic and combined with the less-than-forever age, added up to disaster. By the comments and complaints online, it looks like the caustic substance may just be air! For the price you paid, it's worth pursuing with the company and the store. Nordstrom's should stand behind everything they sell and they have contacts at the companies they deal with for these types of problems. If you force the issue with them, I'd bet they'd come through. I've usually had better luck with writing a physical letter or calling companies directly - don't relent, it sounds like some with the same complaint are getting at least vouchers for new shoes.

I've worn Birkenstocks for 20 years and recently had a one year old pair of sandals that the glue let loose from the sole. I took them back in to the store where I bought them. Oddly, the sole-rubber appeared to have shrunk leaving a 1/4" gap between the edge of the sole and the footbed at the front and the back. The two ladies working almost immediately determined that I'd left them in the hot car despite being perplexed at the shrinking soles. Not dissuaded when I told them I don't wear these particular sandals out of the house, rarely even in the yard, that remained the final diagnosis. Period. End of story. She said they would have the shop owner look at them and I got a call a few days later that they were ready for pick up. They had simply glued the now too-small sole back onto the footbed and handed them to me.

While I was standing in the store waiting to get my shoes, now with 100% more glue running down the edges, another person brought in their Birks with the exact same problem and were told the exact same thing. This guy made much more of a fuss but still, got nowhere. I wrote an email to the company when I got home, but have heard nothing so far. I told the ladies in the shop that based on this experience and seeing the exact same thing play out next to me with another person, I didn't feel there was any reason on earth to buy shoes from them when Zappos.com and other sites sell them for less with apparently the same warranty. I like trading with locally owned, independent businesses but if they can't stand behind their customers and products, what is the point? Screw 'em!

Best of luck with your shoes, don't give up! Keep us posted on what you find out.

 

[tomturbomatic]

To your other question: I would imagine that a cleaning fluid with solvent in it, like some brands of spot remover, could be tested on your closet carpet and, if it does not hurt the carpet, be tried on the rubbery residue.

 

[maytagbear]

If you have

a Nordstrom's card, I'd talk it over with Karen, and at least threaten to cancel the account when you take the shoes back.

I find this whole thing to be distressing, because I have a pair of ecco ankle boots I really like. I also have a pair of Florsheim oxfords with a rubber sole.... I've never had trouble with Rockport rubber soles....

Please keep us informed, Allen.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[jmm63]

I would take them back to Nordstrom's anyway. Don't they have the "we'll take anything back at anytime" policy?

 

[whirlcool]

joelippard:

OMG, that link you posted described my problem exactly!

I think I'll try Nordstroms one more time. As the woman on the phone from there stated they were "old" shoes and that she thinks the time that Nordstrom can do anything about them has passed. But she DID say that the store manager has the authority to override this policy and that I could make an appointment to see him.
I think that's what I'll do.

When I posted this thread I thought it might be too "wimmpy" a subject to post. But thanks to all of you out there I learned a lot and have received some very good suggestions!

Update:
Karen asked me why don't I just call a shoe repair place to ask how much it would be to have the shoes reheeled and resoled. I called three places and was told that because of the way the shoes are built, they can't be resoled or reheeled. So, I'm calling ECCO with a complaint.

I called ECCO and the Customer Service department seemed very helpful, they apologized for any inconvenience I might have experienced and that they offered to send a mailing box to me so I can return the shoes to them. They will inspect the shoes and then determine if the problem was a factory defect, and if it is they will send me a new pair.

Now we'll wait.....

 

[thomasortega]

Exactly the same happened with a Tide Power (and unuseful) brush I have.

It has a rubber grip that is melting like butter...

At first i thought it was the weather, or maybe some residue but now I could realize it's the rubber.

I have a second brush as a collection item. it still in it's original sealed blister, together with a tiny bottle of Tide liquid. 5 minutes ago I got it on my hands after years forgotten in my collection shelve and the rubber has melted completelly IN THE BLISTER.