On’s New Sneakers Have a Spray-On Upper Made by Robots

When Hellen Obiri broke away from the pack during this year’s Boston Marathon, few spectators questioned whether the defending the champ would win the race. Instead, the only thing anyone could ask was, “What the hell are those shoes?”

Obiri, an On ambassador since 2022, could be seen in a prototype of laceless running shoes with the brand’s logo emblazoned on the side. The company wasn’t shy about it, either. On Instagram, On congratulated the two-time Olympic medalist and acknowledged the shoes with a magic wand emoji.

Omar Rawlings / Stringer

Months later, we finally have our answer. On calls it the Cloudboom Strike LS and it’s the first shoe to utilize a new upper technology named LightSpray. According to the Swiss brand, it doesn’t just mark a shift in footwear design and manufacturing but “all kinds of wearable products in the sportswear industry,” it says.

On

On Cloudboom Strike LS

Traditional shoe uppers are engineering marvels. Hundreds of materials come together across complex steps that range from yarn extrusion to gluing everything in place.

But more steps mean more waste, which is a problem On plans to sidestep with LightSpray.

To make the one-piece upper, On developed an automated manufacturing process that uses robotic arms to spray the upper with single piece of synthetic monofilament — similar to how a spider weaves its web. Then, the upper attaches to the midsole with a patent-pending thermal bonding technique (in other words, no glue).

On

The whole thing takes three minutes from start to finish and cuts down the carbon emissions up to 75 percent, the company claims. It also paves the way for rapid prototyping and bringing the manufacturing process closer to the customer, rather than a specialized facility from across the globe.

“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.

Speed of light

Performance-wise, laceless uppers also translate to lighter shoes and faster times. On says the Cloudboom Strike LS weighs just 170 grams (less than six ounces).

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Though the shoes are about an ounce heavier than the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 that dominated the Berlin Marathon last year, the Cloudboom Strike LS are still significantly lighter than other high-end marathon racers from Nike, Saucony and others.

On also claims that the glueless bonding and lack of a sockliner also minimize energy loss, given that there’s less in the way of its Helion HF super foam.

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Availability and pricing

Listed online with the label “Coming Soon,” the On Cloudboom Strike LS costs $330.

Until then, runners can pick up a pair of the recently released Cloudboom Strikes, which make use of the same Pebax-based Helion HF super foam and likely offer a similar ride underfoot.

On

On Cloudboom Strike LS

• $330 at On

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