Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/907660
86 runninginsight.com © 2017 Formula4media LLC. And with a mix of entrepreneurial am- bition, creative engineering and a desire to be different, On's leaders believe the best is yet to come. On creating a different running shoe Though On's founding trio comes from an athletic background – Bernhard, for one, is a three-time World Duathlon champion – none of the men had ever constructed a running shoe. "And honestly," Allemann says, "that helped us take a different approach." Believing that running shoes largely fell into one of two categories, either cushioned or sleek, the founders posed a simple, albeit layered and complex ques- tion: Can't we do both? To answer that inquiry, On's three founders pursued a footwear solution rooted in engineering rather than materials like air, gel or rubber and pulled inspira- tion from mountain bike suspension. The result? The Cloud, a series of hollowed-out pods running the length of the shoe – a differentiated look that aims to achieve differentiated results. Upon landing, Allemann explains, the Cloud pods deform in a horizontal direction to reduce impact. He calls it "cushioned landing." Thereafter, the Clouds com- press for firmness to propel the runner forward. German newspaper Die Zeit called On's technology "Doping through the sole." "All at the same time, our footwear is light, comfort- able and agile," Allemann says, assuring that On's technology is true product innovation, not marketing jargon. "And if we didn't truly believe that, then we wouldn't have started this business in such a competi- tive market." I n J u l y 2 0 1 0 , O n ' s first running shoe, the Cloudsurfer, shipped to specialty running stores in Europe. Over the next year, On released its second shoe, the Cloudrunner, and earned a spot on the foot- wear walls of 400 running specialty stores across 18 countries. By 2014, with an expanding elite athlete roster and an assortment of industry awards, On earned entry into 1,200 running specialty stores across 25 countries. David Allemann ON (continued)