On cloud nine: The shoe that is out-running conventional wisdom
Created On: 20 February 2012
Running is big business. Sportswear brands invest billions of
dollars on the quest to develop the perfect running shoe. Despite
this, styles and overall technology design of today's running shoes
are broadly similar to those of a decade ago. Moreover, incidents
of injuries remain high: it's estimated that more than 60 percent
of all runners suffer at least one injury per year.
But now an innovative new shoe looks set to give the
conventional running shoe design a run for its money. Built on
patented CloudTec™ elements, the On shoe claims not only to protect
the body against the stresses of running, but also to activate your
body and "put the fun back" into the exper-ience. And with
world-class athletes and coaches raving about the On's training and
performance benefits, it has all the makings of a running
revolution.
Why the On is different
On's edge over traditional running shoes can be explained by
simple physics: running exposes our feet to both vertical and
horizontal forces. Traditional running shoes only absorb the
vertical impact (typically by compressing some form of rubber or
air pad), but leave the athlete exposed to the horizontal - or
forward-pushing - impact, causing increased muscular breakdown and
associated injuries. The On's CloudTec™ system absorbs both
vertical and horizontal forces by a radical new design:
three-dimensional elements made of highly flexible circular pieces
of rubber.
During the foot strike phase, these 3D elements fold back and
cushion the landing by allowing the foot to softly glide into the
step. Put in physics terms: The On is using travel (or "way") to
slow down the impact shock. Once on the ground, the elements become
interlocked, providing a solid surface and stability for the
push-off phase. So while traditional running shoes are either soft
and slow or fast and hard, the On is soft and fast.
The 3D flexibility has another positive effect on the runner's
body: the postural muscles - which can become lazy and can
degenerate when runners wear over-supportive running shoes are
actually activated and strengthened by the flexibility of the
system.
World-class genesis
The driving force behind this innovation was six-time Ironman
Winner and World Champion duathlete Olivier Bernhard. Bernhard, who
was recovering from injury, wanted to find a shoe that would
protect his body from the impact of long-distance running - without
compromising on speed. His sponsors were all focused on cushioned
running shoes for the mass market, and could not deliver his
vision. So he worked with a Swiss engineer to develop and perfect a
technology, which would match his professional needs.
Bernhard ran thousands of miles in prototypes before giving the
final design the ultimate seal of approval: he started the company
On to bring the new technology to market - initially selling 2,000
pairs himself out of the back of his car. And very soon it became
clear that the On shoe had a wider appeal than just professionals
like Bernhard. It answered every runner's dream: pain and
in-jury-free running that does not impede performance.
"I was very excited by the On shoe, as I felt that it delivered
all of the things that were missing in the market," explains
Bernhard. "It allows you to land softly and to push-off hard - so
you can go very fast and very long." Before the On, soft shoes
equalled poor performance. The excellent cushioning also allowed
Bernhard to build his shoe in line with the latest research on the
movement of the foot: the On features an extremely flexible sole
and a low heel. The result is almost a 'rolling' experience that
gives you extra forward momentum for a faster run. "And, over time,
your foot muscles are trained to get better by themselves, rather
than depending on cushioning and support. It's not the shoes that
lift you, it is you," says Bernhard.
We're currently testing both the On Cloudsurfers and On
Cloudrunners so will let you know our thoughts in our review
soon.
Tags: news,run,products
