On
about on
Since 2010, On has been revolutionizing running shoes by creating a sensation of running on clouds. In ten short years, this Swiss born company has taken on the major running shoe brands, and has sprinted ahead due to its style, technology, and design. Whether running on a flat track or powering up alpine trails, On running shoes will have you outpacing the competition while feeling light and looking fresh. With more than seven million runners across more than 50 countries, On is set to be a mainstay on the sneakers podium for style, comfort, and performance. Though it may be a runner's worst kept secret for performance-enhancing running gear, On running shoes have been adopted by professionals like nurses, waiters, and clerks, basically anyone standing all day in need of comfortable footwear.
Running on clouds
What sets On running shoes apart from its competitors is its technology. CloudTec® is the secret to On's success, their patented cushioning technology. CloudTec® provides the signature look for On's style with its open tubes of rubber or foam on the outsole. More so, the performance these open tubes provide is to compress and absorb each step's impact and then convert that into an explosive take-off. The open tubed outsole reduces the overall weight of On running shoes, which gives a lighter step and a softer cushion for each stride. The midsole also contains patented technology called Speedboards, which are layers in the shoe designed to support and channel your foot's natural rolling motion.
Made in Switzerland – Swiss design and technology
Unlike the giant corporations that On competes within the running shoe market, On has 400 dedicated employees working on their primary purpose of enhancing the best running experience a shoe can offer. Much like the city and country they call home, where they have their headquarters and R&D center in Zurich, Switzerland, On's design and technology stays loyal to the general Swiss brand of quality, performance, and exclusivity. Though it's clear that On shoes are not manufactured in Switzerland, the patented engineered technology seeps Swiss ingenuity, and its one of a kind fresh style shouts Swiss design.
Along with the CloudTec® cushioning technology, On created their own proprietary cushioning foams called Zero-Gravity Foam. It is a lightweight EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) blend used in the midsole cushion developed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. At the same institute, Albert Einstein studied and taught physics. In 2011, ETH published a study demonstrating that test runners wearing On running shoes run at significantly lower pulse rates and lower blood lactate levels.
On's latest technology is a foam called Helion™ superfoam. It's a foam that can do it all—mixing the best of stiffer elements with softer sections to create previously only possible performance in separate and independent materials. Helion™ superfoam provides a cushion at a reduced weight while enhancing a greater energy return. It's also temperature-resistant for the year-round, all-season runners.
Three friends, one mission
More than for the love of running, On's three co-founders, former professional athlete Olivier Bernhard and his friends David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti, were bounded by a revolutionary idea and a dedication to developing the perfect running shoe that would provide the ultimate running experience. Olivier Bernhard is a three-time world duathlon champion and multiple Ironman winner, so he brought his expertise as a high performing athlete. He crossed paths with a like-minded Swiss engineer with a new idea for a running shoe. The synergy between experience and engineering allowed for this new running shoe design to be created. The prototypes created the running on clouds sensation that convinced Caspar Coppetti and David Allemann to join the project and formally established On in 2010. A month later, the prototypes won the ISPO BrandNew Award, one of the world's largest platforms and prizes for startups and sport innovation. By that summer, On running shoes took off and were on store shelves worldwide.