Former top Swiss triathlete Olivier Bernhard had a problem.
According to an interview on his company website, he had tried every running shoe available to ease the inflammation and pain he was experiencing in his Achilles tendons yet still couldn't find a model that met his needs. Fueled by the lack of options, Olivier joined forces with friends David Allemann and Caspar Copetti to develop a line of innovative shoes that will enhance the efficiency of the running experience.
ON was founded just 3 years ago in Switzerland and appropriately named because of the way they turn on and activate the postural muscles. Only in the states for a little over a year, the Portland-based company has grown 5-fold in the past year. Technical Representative Mike Robinson and Northeast Account Manager Max Smith stopped by Holabird Sports to give us the run down about the benefits of ON running shoes and what makes them unique.
The shoes are designed by athletes. "That does make a difference," Mike said. "We’re defining our own category and bridging the gap," Max added.
CloudTec outsoles are really what make ON stand out. The individual carbon rubber cloud element pockets are visually eye-catching but also address the vertical and horizontal shock that can lead to injuries. Small vertical "teeth" inside each cloud element locks down upon impact to absorb the shock. Each of the four models in the current line uses this technology in different patterns and sizes, depending on if it's for endurance, performance, competition, or new runners.
According to Mike, the shock from heel strike can be equal to about an 8.4 on the Richter magnitude scale. ON running shoes bring that down to about a "2.5 on the Richter scale." Mike added, "This shoe is helping to reduce injury."
"Land in sand, push off on track" is ON’s way of saying that they promote cushioned landings with barefoot takeoffs.
"A lot of these shoes are stuck in an old paradigm and that's where ON steps away," Mike said. "It's an awesome shoe to experience."
Try the new Cloudtec outsoles. Shop ON Running Shoes.
ON Running - Swiss High-Performance Running Shoes
