On launched in Zürich in 2010 with a clear proposition: reengineer the running experience through proprietary tooling and underfoot mechanics. The brand’s distinct system – CloudTec® cushioning, Speedboard™ roll, and a recognizable silhouette – turned early traction with athletes and specialty retailers into a scalable brand.
With patents around geometry, material blends, and naming, On built technical credibility, then broadened its reach through flagship retail, athlete partnerships, and high-visibility collaborations. The result is a brand engineered for both performance and protection.
Origins, Proof of Concept & the Protected Feel
Founded in Zürich in 2010 by Olivier Bernhard, David Allemann, and Caspar Coppetti, On began as a materials experiment that turned garden-hose sketches into a proprietary cushioning system. The founders’ mission? To make running feel like “clouds.” Within months the concept had institutional validation thanks to ISPO’s BrandNew Award in 2010, signaling that the odd-looking sole was more than marketing and giving the company early credibility with specialty retailers and investors.
On’s ride is defined by a few repeatable building blocks. CloudTec® uses hollow “clouds” that compress on impact then firm for toe-off, engineering softness without sacrificing stability. A tuned Speedboard™ plate underfoot translates vertical load into forward roll, while Helion™ superfoam balances cushioning, durability, and temperature resistance.
The net effect is a signature underfoot experience that the company protects through patents, product names, and visual distinctiveness.
From Specialty Niche to Flagship Scale
Early adoption came via run shops and word-of-mouth, then broadened with On-owned retail outposts. On opened a New York City flagship in 2020 as a testing ground for service, gait analysis, and launch cadence, and later unveiled “On Labs” in Zürich, a combined headquarters, design center, and brand showcase. In summer 2022, the company consolidated at an enlarged Industriequartier campus, signaling a shift from fast-growing niche to scaled operator balancing wholesale with a rising direct-to-consumer channel.
In 2019, Roger Federer joined as an investor and partner, lending both product input and global visibility. The collaboration yielded THE ROGER line in 2020, tennis-inspired lifestyle shoes that widened the audience beyond pure running. On deepened on-court credentials by signing world No. 1 Iga Świątek and American standout Ben Shelton in 2023–2024, aligning the brand with elite competition while keeping its lifestyle product moving.
To ground performance claims with results, On launched the On Athletics Club (OAC) in 2020 under coach Dathan Ritzenhein. The team functions as a lab in the wild – feedback loop, storytelling engine, and race-day visibility – turning athlete data into design updates and marketing assets into long-tail demand.
Public Listing, Circularity & Culture
On listed on the NYSE as ONON on September 15, 2021, raising capital to scale product R&D, manufacturing, and brand development. The scale-up is visible in the channel mix and financials – net sales reached CHF 2.32 billion in 2024 – but the governance choice matters, too: public status requires clearer disclosure on supply chain, sustainability, and IP strategy, which are now part of how the brand competes.
Innovation has moved beyond foams to models for end-of-life. Cyclon (launched 2020) introduced a subscription for recyclable, bio-based performance shoes; subscribers return worn pairs for re-processing, and the first Cyclon shoe – Cloudneo – rolled out in 2022. CleanCloud (2022) pursued EVA from captured carbon, previewed on the Cloudprime prototype. In July 2025, On inaugurated a LightSpray™ factory in Zürich – a robot-driven process aimed at localizing advanced production, a long-term bet on proximity manufacturing and IP-heavy automation.
On’s growth blends selective wholesale with a rapidly expanding direct business across flagships and e-commerce. The visual language – minimal, technical, “Swiss engineered” – finds a home on the running track and street, alike, and the Loewe collaboration extends that language into luxury craft. In 2024, the partners expanded to a ready-to-wear capsule, reinforcing On’s position at the sport–fashion interface without chipping away at its performance core.
The brand is built on a sensation and the systems that defend it: CloudTec geometry, Speedboard roll, a recognizably engineered silhouette, athlete-led validation from OAC to Grand Slam courts, and a pipeline that ranges from circular subscriptions to carbon-based foams and automated local factories.
This piece was prepared in collaboration with Jamie Zwirn and Emilie Mentrup.
Share
