On Cloud Nine

So I've been lately in-love with this new running shoe in town, been using it on our civilian day at the office, roaming day with my brother, back-to-back races and training runs, and I almost even tried using it during our Badminton tournament.

Am I really that obsessed with it? No, but perhaps, my feet does! If you want to know why, head on to Chris Sport's page and navigate through their featured shoes.

You didn't clicked that link do you? Well then, read below Chris Sports' article and learn about the wisdom behind the ON Running Shoes.

The shoe that is out-running conventional wisdom

With support from top-flight athletes and coaches, the On running shoe is set to take the industry by storm.

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 experience. 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.

Take a little more time also and watch Olivier Bernhard - Developer/Co-Founder, World Champion and IronMan Winner, as he talks about ON.