On Running Shoes: Cloud Pods, Road vs Trail, and Fit

On Running was founded in 2010 in Zurich by Olivier Bernhard, David Allemann, and Caspar Coppetti, with Bernhard — a professional triathlete — driving the technical development of the CloudTec sole system: a series of hollow rubber pods arranged in columns on the outsole that compress individually on impact and return energy during toe-off. The original Cloudrunner and Cloud models launched with the new sole technology in 2010, and the Swiss manufacturing heritage combined with the CloudTec innovation positioned On as a premium performance running brand from launch. The collaborations On began producing from 2020 onward — with Roger Federer (who became an investor), Loewe, and Post Malone — moved the brand from pure performance into the lifestyle and collector sneaker conversation.

On Running Shoes collecting is driven primarily by the collaboration releases and colorway-limited editions that On produces alongside its standard catalog. The Roger Federer RF collection, in particular the RF-branded training and performance releases produced in limited quantities, generates secondary market demand from both sneaker collectors and tennis fans. The Loewe x On collaboration from 2022 brought the brand into the luxury fashion crossover space and established secondary market pricing consistent with other luxury-brand sneaker collaborations. The standard Cloudstratus and Cloudmonster silhouettes in seasonal limited colorways represent the entry-level collecting tier.

Two practical habits. Research the Roger Federer RF collection release quantities before purchasing — On has produced RF-branded items across different tiers, from mass-market catalog colorways with RF branding to genuinely limited collaboration pieces, and the scarcity and secondary market pricing differs dramatically between these tiers even when the external RF branding looks similar. And store On shoes on shoe trees regardless of collector intent: the CloudTec sole pods use a hollow chamber design that can develop slight deformation in the pod walls over long storage periods without a shoe tree providing last support, and deformed pods affect both the visual display quality and the functional performance.

The collaboration-tier long game

Learn the On Running Shoes fundamentals — Roger Federer RF collection tier identification and how mass-market versus genuinely limited RF releases differ in production quantity, how Loewe and other fashion collaboration releases track in secondary market pricing, and which CloudTec silhouettes have produced the most documented collector interest beyond performance running — and keep notes on collaboration, colorway, and condition at purchase.

Find the other On Running collectors

Niches like On Running Shoes grow sharper when collectors tracking collaboration releases can compare sourcing leads and tier identification notes. Amassable lets you log pairs with collaboration and condition notes, display the On collection like a gallery, and meet others hunting the same RF and fashion collaboration releases. Early members help shape how this specialty develops.

Your turn

Log the pairs, document the collaborations, compare notes with the community. Amassable is built for On Running Shoes collectors — catalog what you own, track the limited collaboration gaps, and start conversations about the RF and Loewe pieces worth finding. Download Amassable from the official store links on our homepage, and help bring the On community together, one CloudTec pod at a time.