The History of On (Running)

The brand On was born in the Swiss Alps in Zurich with the mission to change the world of running. Over the 10 years since the brand’s inception, On running shoes have reached more than seven million runners throughout 50 countries — with no sign of slowing down.

Take a look at the history of On, including the story behind the brand’s name, as well as some of On’s most popular running shoe styles.

Caspar Coppetti, David Allemann, and Olivier Bernhard — the three founders of On — united over their shared love of running and dedication to helping runners worldwide meet their athletic needs. 

A retired professional competitive runner as a six-time Ironman champion and three-time world duathlon champion, Bernhard’s goal was to find a running shoe to achieve the perfect running sensation. He started to pursue this goal in 2009 after his retirement. While on this journey, he met a like-minded engineer who had a new idea for running shoes, and they formed a partnership.

Dozens of prototypes were created in these early days, which caught the attention of Caspar Coppetti and David Allemann, who decided to join the project. And in 2010, the trio formally established the On brand in Zurich.

The prototype of their dream shoe won the coveted ISPO Brandnew Award only one month after their brand launched. By July of that same year, only five months later, On running shoes were being stocked and highlighted on retail shelves.

The brand’s name was a simple play on a radical idea that guided the entire brand. The goal of the shoe was to make people feel as though they were “running on clouds,” with the brand simply going by “On.”

The brand’s logo is simple, featuring the letters “o” and “n” stacked on top of one another in black and white print. The “on” has a slight uptick on the top, which sometimes makes people think it’s a “Q.” However, it is actually because they wanted a runner using their shoes to feel “switched on.” The tick on the “o” is a play on an old style of light switch.

The goal of On shoes is to create a cushioned landing and to supply a firm take-off. The brand featured some of the first shoes created with techwear — meaning they were made with high-quality fabrics and heavily researched technical detailing to create a shoe that could stand up to the elements. For example, the Cloud shoe line features a multi-directional cushioning system called CloudTec®. It works by cushioning both individually and as a unit so that it is reactive to each runner’s unique movements.

The first shoe released by On was the Cloudracer. This shoe became the favored footwear for the London 2012 Olympic gold medal winner and Swiss professional triathlete Nicola Spirig. Since then, they have created a variety of other popular shoes — each meant to target a variety of activities and different types of running.

In short, there’s something for everyone.

The company’s biggest claim to fame is its proprietary cushioning technology within the sole of its shoes. After becoming established as a sporting goods company around 2010, it quickly became the favored shoe of many Swiss athletes. By 2019, the company held 40% of the Swiss running shoe market. That same year, they also held 10% of the running shoe market in Germany. 

By the middle of 2020, On sports footwear was available across 6,000 retailers selling across 55 countries worldwide. On’s biggest single market today, though, is the United States. As of late 2020, they owned 6.6% of the running shoe category within the U.S. and are currently looking into further expansions.

If you’re ready to run on clouds, grab a pair of On running shoes from Finish Line today.