On's Newest Running Super Shoe Is Made by Robots

The Cloudboom Strike LS is a light super shoe that's not made by humans.

July 15, 2024
A person with a prosthetic arm works with machines in a high-tech laboratory setting. The image is dynamic, showing motion blur and a focus on technology
A robot making the On Cloudboom Strike LS. Via On

Looks like the people at On are on to something. Today, the Swiss footwear brand is debuting its latest technology, LightSpray. It’s not a new foam or midsole technology, but rather a new way to manufacture its highest performing running shoes in an eco-friendly way.

The technology is featured on the Cloudboom Strike LS, the brand’s lightest running shoe, which was debuted earlier this year by Helen Obiri during her Boston Marathon win. There was a quiet launch of the shoe earlier this year, but will be a bigger launch later this year.

As far as how LightSpray is made, On says it’s created by a robot producing a one-piece upper that’s extra thin and provides a snug fit that makes the shoe not need laces. The robot can make a pair of shoes in three minutes.

Given that there are so few pieces involved in the upper that results from the LightSpray technology, On says it’s able to make the Cloudboom Strike LS with 75 percent less carbon emissions than its other racing shoes. It cuts out the need to have glue in the upper, because the shoe is one piece. The robot makes the upper through an ink-jet printing process, the brand says.

“LightSpray marks a significant milestone for On, not only in creating high performance

products but also the potential it has to move us towards a more sustainable, circular future.”

said Marc Maurer, Co-CEO of On, in a press release. “Our team is constantly challenging itself to rethink the status quo in terms of the design, development, and manufacturing of performance sportswear. LightSpray technology will propel us forward in our mission to be the most premium sportswear brand, rooted in innovation, design, and impact.”

The Cloudboom Strike LS is seriously light. It weighs in at just 170g, which translates to about six ounces, and has a carbon plate in between the foam in the midsole. The shoe also has a 4MM drop, which is pretty mellow compared to other running shoes and won’t feel as wonky on your feet as some other super shoes.

You can watch the shoes being made live in Paris from July 27 to August 10 and a full release of the sneakers for the general public will follow this fall.

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