Founded in Zurich a decade ago by retired professional athlete Olivier Bernhard and his friends David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti, running shoe brand On has gone leaps and bounds. Led by the Swiss entrepreneurs, an international team of top sports scientists, designers and athletes have collaborated to create the new generation of acclaimed running shoes with signature hollow elements on the sole for a soft landing followed by an explosive take-off. The company has expanded to ten offices across the globe while its hailed footwear and related apparel can be purchased in over fifty countries. And yet, in the final days of a turbulent year, On has reached a new milestone with the opening of a global flagship store in New York City. The store occupies a ground floor unit of a modern nine-storey structure by Morris Adjmi Architects, and sees a design-led setting and hi-tech to deliver its fanbase an elevated shopping experience.
The store’s backdrop is unapologetically austere, featuring an exposed ceiling and painted concrete walls, and anchored by an elongated Magic Wall, a shelving system featuring On‘s full shoe collection on one side, and a device with hidden gait-cycle analysis hi-tech on the other, enabling shoppers to examine their running styles and recommended shoe size. In the corner, clearly visible from the outside, sits a recyclable 3D-printed boulder which is an exact replica of one found in the Engadine valley, a bold reference to the very cradle to the brand. Mind you, following a virtual shopping appointment, the product of choice can be delivered within 2-4 hours to try on in the comfort of your home if you live in the city. Apart from singular pieces being showcased on suspended steel frames in the window, On‘s apparel collections are presented in an alcove-like section of the store, and to heighten the sense of shopping adventure, the fitting rooms come with unique Alpine scents and sounds.
On
363 Lafayette Street (Noho)
New York, NY 10012
Telephone: +1 212 9334070
Mon-Sat 11am-6pm
Sun 12pm-6pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
