From driverless cars to English homework done in an instant by ChatGPT, we are in fact living in the future. Swiss sportswear brand On has released an innovative footwear technology that will propel the industry forward. Its LightSpray technology is designed to enhance athletes’ performance (runner Hellen Obiri has been winning marathons in the shoes since April) using an ultra-light one-piece upper.
The LightSpray uppers are as their name suggests, sprayed, not built, automated by a robotic arm. The innovative process at the brand’s Zurich lab is capable of producing shoes in just three minutes. Even better? The model not only minimizes waste but also reduces an upper’s carbon emissions by 75% compared to other On racing shoes.
“On has been an innovation company since day 1,” Ilmarin Heitz, Senior Director of Innovation at On tells Footwear Plus. “Design innovation, sustainability, and quality are key factors for us.” Indeed, Heitz thinks this latest innovation will shake up the industry while optimizing athletes’ performance and maximizing speed on race day.
“We believe LightSpray paves the way for a revolution in footwear creation,” he confirms. “It enables the production of ultra-light, high-performance shoes anywhere, anytime, with lower carbon emissions. It has the potential to revolutionize not just how performance uppers are made, but also to reshape how we think about manufacturing, which hasn’t changed in decades.”
The company believes the technology will pave the way to manufacturing shoes closer to the consumer (thanks to a fast production process) and open the door to circular manufacturing. The brand’s Cloudboom Strike LS is the first On shoe to use LightSpray, and it will be available for purchase in Fall/Winter 2024. Its upper is precision-sprayed for support, adaptable to the foot, seamless, and lace-free. The result is ultra-light at just 170g. Its distinctive aesthetic is also sure to turn heads on and off the track.
“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. 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.” —Marc Maurer, Co-CEO of On
Developing On LightSpray Technology
Inspiration for the design came from a surprising source: a Halloween decoration. An On innovation team member saw a video of a hot glue gun being used to make spider webs. The team started by creating a simple prototype shoe with a handheld, modified hot glue gun. They soon progressed to developing a unit that produces a continuous filament to form an engineered structure.
After the upper is constructed, a patent-pending thermal fusing technology allows LightSpray uppers to bond to the midsole without glue. Once the uppers are created, branding is added within minutes via a fully automated ink-jet printing process.
On Cloudboom Strike LightSpray Specs
- The Cloudboom Strike LS in On’s lightest running shoe. The upper weighs just 30g, while the entire shoe weighs 170g.
- The ultra-thin LightSpray™ upper is precision-made for support, adaptable to the foot, seamless, and lace-free.
- The midsole features two layers of Helion™ HF hyper foam, On’s ultra-responsive Pebax® formula made with more than 40% bio-based raw materials.
- A pre-shaped, stiff carbon Speedboard®, sandwiched between the foam, enables the best propulsion upon each stride.
- Computer-aided engineering leads to an optimized outsole for improved traction and weight reduction while increasing the ground contact area based on runners’ pressure map data.
- The glueless bonding of LightSpray™ allows for a minimal construction of the CloudBoom Strike LS, which has no sockliner and no strobel in direct contact with the Helion™ HF hyper foam, for minimal energy loss.
- Weight Men: 170g (size USM8.5)
- Weight Woman: 158g (size US W7)
- Heel to toe drop: 4mm
- Cost 330 USD / 330 EUR / 380 CHF
