ECCO’s New Speed Hybrid Is Built to Last

Proprietary technology makes the shoe light, stylish, comfortable, flexible and watertight—and durable.

Tony Dear

Unlike most golf shoes, ECCO's new new Speed Hybrid model looks like you could run a marathon in it.

That's just one unique aspect to this athetic-looking footwear. Another is the method by which the 52-year-old family-owned Danish company manufactures it.

ECCO uses a proprietary process called Direct-Inject that it has been perfecting for the last few years.

Direct-Inject is one of those rare innovations that most certainly build a better product but which consumers tend not to know a lot about.

The typical shoe is made by stitching or gluing the upper and lower halves together— technically the upper and outsole. But ECCO injects a polyurethane substance into a mold onto which it places the latter.

This creates a powerful bond between upper and outsole, essentially resulting in a one-piece shoe—lighter and more durable than most and tremendously flexible. The seal is also watertight.

This is obviously an attractive combination of benefits for an athletic shoe such as the Speed Hybrid, which also features an E-DTS outsole with molded traction bars made from hard-wearing TPU (thermos-plastic polyurethane) that provide hundreds of traction angles to ensure superior grip and traction.

The ECCO Freedom Fit heel and a slightly larger forefoot area provide comfort and space for your toes to move naturally.

“The Speed Hybrid was inspired by one of our best-selling casual sneakers,” says Michael Waack, Head of Global Golf at ECCO. “It pairs a great look with the game’s most-advanced hybrid outsole technology.”

As with many other ECCO shoes, the Speed Hybrid comes with removable insoles. These insoles are leather-lined and feature the company’s Comfort Fiber System which ensures your feet remain cool and odor-free.

The Speed Hybrid is available in three color combinations: Black (with light green trim on top of page); Titanium (also with light green trim); and Dark Shadow (with orange trim). $180, eccousa.com

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