Run like on clouds
On is the overall winner of the ispo BrandNew Award 2010 – the largest start-up competition in the sporting goods industry. Background on cushioning technology On CloudTec™ The patented sensation of running like on clouds The wish for a pain-free and effortless running experience marked the beginning of the On CloudTec™ technology: a Swiss engineer and running pioneer, who was struggling to continue to run because his knees had taken severe damage from years of using conventional running shoes, set out to change the physics of running. He had realized that he felt much less pain when running on gravel or sand covered trails, which would allow his foot to softly glide into every step. The engineer observed that there are two forces at work when running: the vertical and the horizontal impact. He discovered that it is the
horizontal impact, which causes the most damage to muscle cells, ligaments and joint.
the largest start-up competition in the sporting goods industry.
On is the overall winner of the ispo BrandNew Award 2010 –
Oddly, existing running shoes only absorb the vertical impact. The engineer wanted to create a running shoe, which would allow a runner to land as softly as on sand and to push off as effectively as on concrete.
The result was a surprisingly simple, yet highly functional cushioning element: A piece of circular rubber, which absorbs both the vertical and the horizontal impact. As the foot hits the ground with forward momentum, the CloudTec™ element folds back, effectively allowing the foot to glide to a softer halt. After landing, the element is compressed by the weight of the runner, locks together and is fully firm for the push-off. The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Testing and Research concluded that the On CloudTec™ cushioning system reduces impact force by 25-30 percent, and is even more active during push-off than a regular running shoe.
This benefits all runners: top athletes can train longer and more often, because the musculature takes less strain. Recreational runners, of which up to 60 percent regularly suffer from major or minor injuries, can finally run without pain – and because of slower fatigue, they even run faster and longer.
The 3D flexibility of the 13 On CloudTec™ elements are responsible for the astonishing sensation of running light, almost as if on clouds. The subtle, subliminal instability stimulates the postural muscles, regulates muscle tone, improves posture, and activates the metabolism. As a result, runners or walkers feel more awake, experience less pain in joints, ligaments andmuscles, strengthen their muscles whilst toning and slimming their upper thighs and buttocks.
World-class international triathlete Olivier Bernhard (3-times World Champion and 6-times Ironman Winner) was one of the first athletes to test and adopt the new technology. Thanks to his initiative, close to 2000 test runners have helped to perfect the CloudTec™ system and to bring On to the roads and trails of the world.
Because of its high level of innovation, On CloudTec™ was granted worldwide patents.
On has invented a new running sensation
„It feels like on clouds!” is a common reaction when somebody takes the first steps in the On shoes. This is because the Swiss sports company has not only developed an innovative running shoe, but really a new running sensation.
The feeling of lightness is evoked by 13 circular rubber elements, which stimulate the body with every step. The On shoe trains neglected muscle groups and relaxes tensions, while at the same time activating the postural musculature so that runners can do without the guidance and control aides of conventional running shoes. The result is a much lighter and more focused running feeling: after only a few steps, the body reaches its optimal performance state – it is
“On”.
On is the first shoe with 3D cushioning. Other than conventional cushioning systems, On’s CloudTec™ technology absorbs not only the vertical, but also the horizontal forces which impact a runner’s body. A recent study by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research has shown that CloudTec™ reduces the impact on muscles and joints by 25-30%, Despite the superior cushioning, On makes no compromises when it comes to performance.
The dynamic CloudTec™ elements lock together after impact and become rigid for an optimal push off, thus enabling the conversion of the forces from impact into forward momentum.
Runner’s will feel the benefits of On even more when running on a hard surface: a fast-paced one-hour run feels like a leisurely jog on a forest trail because the musculature does not tighten up and thus experience less fatigue.
“On is the high performance shoe from which also non-professional runners can fully benefit”
says Olivier Bernhard, the former top international triathlete, who has co-developed the CloudTec™ technology.
The Swiss company also takes a new approach on the design of its shoes: with its clear, reduced design and unconventional color combinations, On stands apart from conventional running shoe design. In fact, nothing is conventional about On – and that’s official: the sensation of running on clouds has been granted worldwide patents, thanks to its high level of innovation.
About On
On Inc. is a young Swiss sports company based in Zurich, Switzerland. On has just won the renowned ISPO BrandNew Award 2010, in which more than 300 international sports brand took part. On was founded by three friends and athletes: David Allemann, Olivier Bernhard (3-times world champion and 6-times Ironman winner) and Caspar Coppetti.
