In the ever-evolving world of athletic apparel and equipment, Swiss brand On has taken a giant leap forward with its latest creation, the Cloudboom Strike LS, a revolutionary running shoe that challenges the traditional boundaries of footwear design.
Embracing the power of advanced spray-on materials, On has developed a lace-free, sock-like sneaker that weighs less than the latest iPhone, yet promises to deliver unparalleled performance on the track. The brainchild of On's senior lead of innovation concept design, Johannes Voelchert, the Cloudboom Strike LS is the result of a serendipitous moment of inspiration, where Voelchert saw the potential of a Halloween-themed hot glue gun that shot decorative spider webs.
I saw that there was a quick way of creating a textile onto a complex shape, Voelchert explained in a promotional video. A shoe seemed to be the right object.
This innovative approach has paid dividends, as the Cloudboom Strike LS has already proven its mettle on the world stage. Kenyan runner Hellen Obiri, an Olympic silver medalist and the only woman to have won indoor, outdoor, and cross-country world titles, triumphed at this year's Boston Marathon while wearing a pair of the spray-on sneakers. Obiri will don the Cloudboom Strike LS once again as she competes in the upcoming Paris 2024 Games, showcasing the shoe's potential to elevate athletic performance.
According to On, the secret to the Cloudboom Strike LS's success lies in a combination of biomechanics, physiology, and extreme lightness. With a men's US size 8.5 weighing just 170g per shoe, the sneaker is over 100g lighter than several popular running shoes of the same size. This featherweight construction, coupled with the shoe's adaptable, dynamic, and supportive design, has captured the attention of the athletic community.
The Cloudboom Strike LS's unique construction is a testament to On's commitment to innovation and sustainability. The shoe's uppers, made from a type of thermoplastic, are colored and branded in just three minutes using a robotic arm, a process that the company claims reduces the carbon emissions of producing a shoe's upper by 75% compared to its other sneaker models.
More than anything, we want (the athletes) to win, said Ilmarin Heitz, On's senior director of innovation. That is our gauge of success.
As the world prepares for the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Cloudboom Strike LS is poised to make a significant impact. With Olympians like Hellen Obiri and others already embracing the shoe's performance-enhancing capabilities, the stage is set for this revolutionary spray-on sneaker to rewrite the record books and cement On's place as a trailblazer in the world of athletic footwear.
