This is my 2nd pair that has had the sole disintegrate. When I contacted Ecco about the problem with the 1st pair, they were unable to help me. Now in talking with two close friends, I hear that they too had this happen to them. I highly doubt that only 1% of the shoes have this problem. And, the design makes replacing the sole nearly impossible. As with the last pair, the soles disintegrated while I was wearing them, leaving a terrible mess on my host's carpet. I love the fit of Ecco shoes, but I will not buy them again.