ECCO Soft 7 vs Soft Zero: Which One Should You Buy?

People often come into our Collins Street shop wanting "an ECCO sneaker", and end up standing between two pairs on the wall: the Soft 7 and the Soft Zero. From a few steps back they look like close cousins. Both are clean, low-cut leather lace-ups from ECCO's Soft family, and both are made for everyday wear rather than the gym.

Up close, they are built for different feet and different days. The Soft 7 is the long-laced, smart-casual one, with a leather lining and that bright contrast sole. The Soft Zero is the newer, more relaxed one, with a roomier fit and a textile lining.

I wear the Soft Zero, the newer of the two, and it's the pair I reach for most days. The reason is the way it fits, which I'll come to below.

Here's how we help people choose.

The short answer

• Go Soft 7 if you want a sharper sneaker that carries on to the office or dinner, like a closer, adjustable fit from long laces, and prefer a leather lining.
• Go Soft Zero if you want a little more room through the shoe, a softer, more relaxed look for travel days and weekends, and a lower price.
• Still torn? Try both on, laced up properly. The difference in room is the thing most people notice first.

Side by side

How they look, and what they go with

The Soft 7 is the tidier of the two. Its smooth leather, slim profile and bright cup sole give it the look of a sneaker that has been dressed up a little. In black it sits comfortably with tailored trousers and a knit, so it carries from a day at the office to dinner in Salamanca without looking out of place.

The Soft Zero is softer in every sense. The pebbled leather and suede accents give it a more textured, lived-in look, and it reads as more casual. It is the one we pair with relaxed denim, a long cardigan and a carry-on bag: the shoe you wear to the airport and keep on all day.

If you want one sneaker for work and weekends, the Soft 7 covers more ground. If it is mostly for travel, walking around town and days off, the Soft Zero suits that life well.

Fit: long laces or a little more room

This is the real difference. The Soft 7 is built on ECCO's anatomical last and laced with a long-lace system that runs further down the shoe. That lets you draw the fit in around your foot, so it feels secure and close.

ECCO describes the Soft Zero as designed for people who want a little more room. You feel that room up front, around your toes. If the Soft 7 has felt snug across the widest part of your foot, the Soft Zero is worth trying.

The engineering is what won me over. With a lot of roomy shoes, your heel lifts and slides with every step, and by mid-afternoon you're kicking them off under the desk. That doesn't happen in the Soft Zero. The back of the shoe is shaped to wrap around your heel and hold it in place, so there's no slipping, yet your toes still have their room up front. Room where you want it, and a close fit where you need it.

When it comes to size, the two are the same length, so you can take your usual size in both. The difference is all in the width: the Soft Zero gives you more room across the foot.

Both come in European sizing. Our sizing chart has the conversions, and we're happy to help over the phone.

Lining and feel underfoot

The Soft 7 is leather-lined, with a removable leather-covered insole carrying ECCO's ECFS comfort layer. Leather against the foot is what gives it that smooth, settled feel, and it softens as you wear it in.

The Soft Zero has a textile lining, which is lighter and more breathable against the foot. Both sit on a direct-injected sole, which means the sole is moulded straight onto the upper rather than glued, so the two are bonded firmly.

Which suits a Tasmanian year?

In their everyday leather versions, both are dry-day shoes. A Hobart drizzle is fine; a soaking walk up kunanyi is not what they are for.

If you want one for wet weather, the Soft 7 is the family to look at. The Soft 7 GTX adds a GORE-TEX membrane, and for the colder months there is also the Soft 7 Tred GTX boot. The Soft Zero has a textile lining in every colour, so keep it for drier days.

Orthotics and extra room

The Soft 7's insole lifts out, which can leave space for your own orthotic. The Soft Zero's does too, in every colour. If you wear orthotics, bring them in and try them in both, because depth matters as much as width. For anything to do with foot pain, your podiatrist is the right person to ask.

Price

At Icon, the Soft Zero is $250 and most Soft 7 styles are $300, with the GORE-TEX Soft 7 at $330. The extra for the Soft 7 buys the leather lining, the leather-covered insole and the long-lace fit.

Still deciding?

The easiest way is to try both on, one on each foot. We're at 117 Collins Street, Hobart with both on the wall. If you're further away, browse the ECCO Soft range or call us on (03) 6224 7688 and tell us what you wear in another ECCO.

For the rest of the family, from the retro Soft 2.0 to the Track and BIOM ranges, see our guide to ECCO shoes in Hobart. Both shoes are leather, so a little conditioner keeps them looking right; our beeswax leather conditioner post covers how.

Common questions

What is the difference between the ECCO Soft 7 and Soft Zero?

The Soft 7 has long laces, a leather lining and a sharper, smart-casual look. The Soft Zero is designed with a little more room, has a textile lining and a more relaxed look.

Is the Soft Zero wider than the Soft 7?

Yes. The two are the same length, so you can take the same size in both, but the Soft Zero has more room across the foot. It's the one to try if the Soft 7 feels snug.

Which is better for travel?

For long travel days we usually reach for the Soft Zero for its roomier fit and relaxed look. If your trip includes dinners out, the Soft 7 dresses up further.

Are they waterproof?

The Soft Zero isn't, in any colour, and neither is the everyday Soft 7. If you need a waterproof pair, the Soft 7 GTX has a GORE-TEX membrane.

Can I wear orthotics in them?

Both have a removable insole, in every colour. Bring your orthotics in and try them in both.