On’s Origin Story: As a professional athlete, three-time World Champion and six-time Ironman Champion, Olivier Bernhard devoted himself to creating a running shoe that would give him the perfect running sensation. Olivier’s quest gave rise to the symbiosis of running experience and engineering expertise that would become On’s CloudTec technology. Dozens of prototypes were developed, but the basic concept – cushioned landing, explosive take-off – remained paramount throughout. It was this unique running sensation that convinced Olivier’s friends Caspar Coppetti and David Allemann to join Olivier in his quest. Together with Olivier, they formally established On in Zürich, Switzerland in January 2010.

Just a month after the company was founded, early On prototypes won the ISPO Brand New Award, one of the most important prizes for innovation in sport. Test runners were enthusiastic and spoke of running on clouds. In July 2010, the first specialty running stores carried On shoes on their shelves.

From these humble beginnings in Zürich, On set out in 2010 with a big ambition: to change the world of running for professionals and amateur runners alike. As On started to gain traction in several key markets, the three co-founders brought on Marc Maurer and Martin Hoffmann as equal partners in 2013 to scale and professionalize the business. Together, we have built a distinct culture that empowers the On team to make decisions and foster innovation, allowing On to rapidly scale while retaining the entrepreneurial mindset of a startup. We believe this partnership approach to leadership has been an integral part of On’s success over the past decade, and we expect it to continue.