After retiring from professional competition, threetime World Duathlon Champion and multiple Ironman winner Olivier Bernhard devoted himself to finding a running shoe that would give him the perfect running sensation - basically a running shoe with a totally different feel.

In doing so, he crossed paths with a likeminded Swiss engineer who had an idea for a new kind of running shoe. And it was this ideal symbiosis of running experience and engineering expertise that allowed this original idea to be steadily refined over the following years.

Dozens of prototypes were developed, but the basic concept — cushioned landing, firm take-off — remained paramount throughout. It was this unique running sensation that convinced Caspar Coppetti and David Allemann to come aboard too. Together with Bernhard, they formally established the On company in Zurich in January 2010 to develop a product range fully engineered in Switzerland using the latest technology. This is when the term "Run on Clouds" was also labeled to the sensation one fels when running in On shoes.

After that, things started to move swiftly. In February 2010, the prototypes won the ISPO BrandNew Award, one of the most important prizes for innovation in sports. Test runners were enthusiastic and spoke of running on clouds. In July 2010, the first running stores had the On shoes on their shelves.

AFTER 15 YEARS IN THE HIGH PERFORMANCE RUNNING INDUSTRY, ON SHOES & APPAREL & ACCESSORIES ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN OVER 4,000 SPECIALITY RUNNING STORES AND GENERAL SPORTS GOODS STORES - DISPERSED IN MORE THAN 60 COUNTRIES.

AND THERE IS MORE TO COME AS LONG AS YOU "DREAM ON".

"WHERE DREAMS AND REALITY MEET - THAT IS WHERE MAGIC GETS CREATED" SAYS OLIVIER BERNHARD

Roger Federer

JOINS SWISS RUNNING BRAND ON AS AN ENTREPRENEUR

ROGER FEDERER AND ON ANNOUNCED AN UNIQUE ENTREPRENEURIAL RELATIONSHIP IN 2019 – JOINING ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL TENNIS ATHLETES WITH ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING BRANDS IN THE HISTORY OF ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR.

FEDERER JOINED ON TO HELP SHAPE ITS FUTURE. AS A TRUE PARTNER IN ON, ROGER HELPS OVERSEE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, MARKETING AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES.

THE LAUNCH OF THE ROGER RANGE WAS ANNOUNCED IN 2020 – A TENNIS INSPIRED SNEAKER WITH A DIFFERENCE.

Based in Zurich, 15 year old On has taken the athletic footwear and apparel markets by storm.

Elite athletes are winning Olympic and World Championship medals in the innovation from Switzerland. Driven by peer-recommendation, runners are discovering the superior performance and feel of On running shoes and its unique patented “Cloud” technology. As a result, On is attracting the fastest-growing global fan community and has joined the ranks of the leading brands in the US, Europe, Africa, Japan and now expanding to many other parts of the world.

“I’ve been a fan of On and its products for a while, but after talking to the founders I realized we have a lot more in common than just our Swiss roots,” said Federer in 2019. “I’m excited to be part of the On team and to work on the future of a next-generation global sports brand.” Federer revealed that the first new products he was working on, namely The Roger range, would be finished and released in 2020.

On Co-Founder Olivier Bernhard, a former World Champion, said the relationship developed very naturally: “We noticed Roger wearing On shoes and reached out to him. That’s when we found out he is a longtime fan of On and, of course, we are longtime fans of his. Switzerland is a small place and we started having dinner together.”

Commenting on the unconventional relationship, Bernhard says: “It became clear that there was a unique opportunity to forge a joint entrepreneurial path that is very different from an athletic sponsorship that a big company would do.”

Bernhard added: “Everyone knows Roger’s a leader in his sport, but as a friendship developed it became clear he is a natural leader and entrepreneur off the court as well. We value the same things and share a passion for innovation and design. He’s going to be a tremendous addition to team On.”