As the summer approaches, avid and casual runners alike will ramp up their respective schedules to hit the trail.
Most of them, in fact, have already made sneaker purchases to aid them in this exercise. SportsOneSource’s data by Footwear Analyst, Matt Powell, reveals that running shoe sales saw an uptick in the low singles, while Nike’s running division increased in the high singles to gain 63 percent market share during the year’s first quarter. There’s just plenty of options out there to choose from that appeal to the wide spectrum of users.
The $7 billion-plus running shoe marketplace, however, is never short of competitors. Domestic manufacturers like Under Armour and Sketchers have attempted to break through the clutter over the past several years. Their ventures into this space should come with the understanding that there’s a long lead time necessary before traction occurs. It’s such an established industry that any start-up will have a long road ahead to penetrate it, particularly among retailers and consumers.
Yet, the overall robust and healthy state of this sector encourages others abroad to develop their own products as well–even earning the smallest segment of it would prove to be a worthwhile proposition.
It would take a professional running veteran along with Swiss engineers to craft a niche and communicate to this community a new innovation.
Four years ago, six-time Ironman champion, Olivier Bernhard, retired from the sport and pursued a way to find the perfect running sensation. The functional, consumer experience, and performance elements served as the foundational pillars to create new footwear. He partnered with an engineer from Zurich’s Federal Institute of Technology in Switzerland to create the perfect running shoe. They wanted to fuse engineering science and practical running logic together to form this product.
At the core of this process stood the lack of an adequate shoe model out there–at least from their perspective–in terms of coping with chronic inflammation stemming from the Achilles tendon. This symptom tends to lead to greater health issues such as cancer, diabetes, depression, or Alzheimer’s.
The Achilles tendon becomes affected when wearing the incorrect or worn out shoes, prematurely expediting the degrees of the activity, or running on hard and uneven surfaces. All of these causes are prevalent among anyone who runs on a regular basis. The likelihood of one or multiple signs transpiring increases over time, especially neglecting or being unaware of the importance of the shoe worn when running.
The risk of contracting this ailment can be prevented by mixing up the kinds of running, wearing the appropriate shoe, or using arch supports inside the shoe. The latter two, in particular, provide the easiest, precautionary ways to do so. The right shoe ensures less tension within the tendons when it supports the arch and heel, which is further helped by replacing worn out shoes, too.
If a runner decides to insert arch supports instead, this scenario could be a cheaper and more effective alternative when the shoe is in a good condition. The shoe, in essence, structurally determines the quality of the run and potential downfalls.
Thus, the original juncture during development of the prototype occurred with the recognition for a more sophisticated, sole cushioning system, Bernhard believes. This outlining definition allows for pronounced vertical and horizontal movements, which vanishes by the time a runner pushes up again.
The secret to this bold new dual functionality lies in the On’s “clouds”–hollow pods on the sole of the shoe that stretch back on impact to cushion the landing; and then lock to form the solid foundation required for a powerful push-off. Land on the sand, push off from the running track. There isn’t much practical use for significant cushioning between the sole and midsole of the shoe to runners; rather, being able to run as close to a barefoot sensation yields results. The initial testing, in fact, dissected a garden hose and superglued parts of it onto the soles to create the desired feeling.
“I will never forget my first steps in a prototype: I had this incredibly light, almost floating sensation–and no pain,” said Bernhard.
Although this particular prototype only lasted for so many steps, the general outline was in place to take it further. The minimalist design would carry through the various improvements over time. It soon took off after winning the ISPO’s Brandnew Award in Innovation, a startup contest among those in the sporting goods industry run by a leading organizer internationally.
Shortly thereafter, another marathon legend, Tegla Loroupe, decides to use the footwear during her meets and becomes an active, early adopter influencer. Her participation spearheaded a surplus of other professional runners to join the movement. Then specialty running stores would sell the first On, Cloudsurfer, that pave the way for 1200 shops in 25 countries worldwide to house them as well.
Currently, though, a recent scientific study has been conducted by ETH Zurich University–also known as “the M.I.T. of Europe”–to measure the medical merits of On.
“We received a lot of feedback from customers and athletes that they were running faster with the On. They claimed they needed less energy or time for the same running route when running in On shoes,” Bernhard tells SportTechie.
Accordingly, the primary purpose of this study was to analyze the instant physiological effect of runners wearing On’s products versus traditional footwear. Since running is a critical sport for both human performance and health, contributing factors like maximal oxygen uptake and anaerobic threshold have fundamental standing. Thus, the study examined the running economy pertinent to cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic stress comparison.
The procedure comprised of 37 individuals in between their mid-30s, average of five feet, nine inches, and about 160 pounds. After completing two running assignments at about 60-70 percent maximum speed, the physiological stress would be determined as juxtaposed by the two different products. Blood samples were executed every five minutes. All of this took place on two separate days and in random sequence.
Bernhard admits that the sample size of 37 is quite high, considering these scientists normally utilize between 10-12 subjects in their studies. While the parameters sufficed for input needed, “it’s, of course, open for discussion” whether or not these same points apply for anything else similar.
“The advantage of the lab is standardization,” explains Bernard with respects to having subjects test on treadmills. “The neutrality of the environment created identical conditions to every runner. Although having them run outside would support a reasonable facsimile to reality, it would’ve been too difficult to gauge and factor in elements like wind, terrain, and temperature.”
In terms of the results, the participants showed an average heart beat reduction of two beats per minute as oppose to wearing competitors’ footwear on the treadmill. The average lactate acid concentration in their blood also diminished by 5.4 percent. It should be noted that a clear distinction between On shoes and external ones wasn’t defined. Also, neither was a tangible delineation as it pertains to respiration, individual step length, and perceived exertion. The aforementioned results, still, demonstrated stark, health dividends when they wore On shoes versus others.
Consequently, On’s new cushioning system proved to be the key differentiator that impelled the causal effects. The potential, extensive degrees of reduced heart rate and blood lactate concentration cannot be projected for its performance impact during competitions due to lack of running efficiency information between the shoes used.
Bernhard acknowledges that they were, indeed, surprised by the final results, especially since they didn’t believe they would be true.
“We hoped to learn if the feedback we were receiving on a daily basis from customers and athletes were scientific or just anectdotal. We thought it’s only a subjective perception, that there wasn’t a difference. But there was one. It would be interesting to redo the study and extend to our other models as well,” says Bernhard.
On’s Cloudsurfer shoe model featured CloudTec technology during testing. The after effects experienced by the sample size justifies the importance of expending energy as efficiently as possible. This technology balances softness and strength needed for training and racing, which supports their claim of being “the first running shoe that provides cushioning only when you need it.”
Despite Nike Frees claiming two of the top five selling models through quarter one thus far, the jury is still out for quantifiable barefoot footwear benefits. This latest scientific study asserts On is on to something–no pun intended–that could breakthrough among runners of all levels. The market conditions are ripe for disruption. They haven’t completely reinvented an entire category; they’re just taking steps in the right direction.