On Running

A world-class athlete and a Swiss engineer walk into a bar.

What’s the punchline?

A new and quickly-growing contender in the running world: On Running.

To be totally honest, I don’t really know if there was a bar involved. What I do know is that shortly before the company’s debut in 2010, On-Running founder Olivier Bernhard and a few close friends became inspired to make a splash in the global running community. Their combined expertise and intuition about what was needed in the market led to a big focus on minimal design. They became dedicated to an efficient design principle with a shoe platform that provides a soft landing but a firm take-off, and this is what made Ons really stand out. In February of 2010, their prototypes won the ISPO BrandNew Award, one of the most important prizes for innovation in sport. By July, their shoes were on store shelves. 

The Swiss-based group has been well on their way since then, introducing new technology and design innovations time and time again. On appeared in the Wall Street Journal in 2013 shortly after their Cloudracer competition shoe was released into the wild for runners to enjoy. This brought much-deserved attention to the dedication of the On team, and to their goal of creating some of the most responsive-yet-comfortable running shoes in the world. A growing customer base eventually let runners in over 50 countries experience “running on clouds.” 

Today, their models range greatly throughout the footwear market. The original tried-and-true Cloud shoe is the epitome of versatility, being a fantastic option for running, cross-training, or everyday comfort. Styles like the Cloud X or Cloudflow can create a highly personalized training experience, giving you the exact amounts of cushioning or responsiveness that will best propel you through your runs. If you’re trying to mix things up, there’s even the Cloudventure trail series, built for any terrain you could dream of with waterproof and lightweight/race options available as well. Of course, all of their designs regardless of purpose are on the cutting-edge of minimal and stylish design. This consistency of precisely engineered options is what grew their business so rapidly.

And that’s On Running in a Swiss-chocolate-coated nutshell. Try a pair if you want to know what it's like to run on clouds!