Turning elite athlete data into the fastest running shoes of the future - On teams up with Santara Tech

Zurich, Switzerland, March 31, 2023 - Swiss sportswear brand On and Santara Tech, the company founded by triathlon superstars Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden and their team, have entered a cooperation agreement. Driven by athlete data, they will focus on developing the next generation of the fastest performance running shoes together.

“The aim is to create industry-leading products and technology innovation that enable the athletes to train harder, recover faster and race to win,” says Jordan Donelly, Innovation Athlete Lead at On. “Sanatara Tech has a unique mix of Olympic and World Champion athletes fused with pinnacle sports science and research data expertise. By collaborating, we can pool this knowledge and channel it into ground-breaking product- and technology solutions that ultimately benefit our mass commercial consumers.”

Santara Tech is the first of its kind, an incubator providing unprecedented access and insight from the world’s leading athletes, coaches, and sports scientists, allowing companies to develop unique products and marketing opportunities. Founded by Olympic and World Champions Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden, world-leading endurance coach and data scientist Olav Aleksander Bu, and long-time manager Adam Acworth, Santara Tech provides cutting-edge in-field, laboratory, and controlled environment product research and development. ​ 

Olav Aleksander Bu: “It was important to Santara Tech to find a partner that shared our vision of creating the fastest triathlon shoe on the market, and that could turn around prototypes quickly. On’s Lightening Team allows us to do just that. We have and will continue to work closely with the team in 2023 to develop and test new innovations as we build towards the Paris 2024 Olympics.”

In regular meetings and testing sessions, new developments by the Lightning Team are put to the test on the feet of superstar triathletes Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden. The gathered feedback and deep data insights are then used to further develop and improve the product.

“We start by building a comprehensive toolbox of insights specific to the athlete and event,” Donelly explains. “This includes, for example, physiological and biomechanic data along with academic research and cross-industry data and sets the stage around areas we will create product and technology solutions for.” 

“Santara Tech has developed a very scientific approach to leveraging data from athletes. Their ability to understand drivers that impact performance is unique”, says On Co-Founder Olivier Bernhard. “Partnering with Gustav and Kristian is a privilege and an honor but working closely with them towards the same shared goal adds another dimension to the partnership. Having access to them will result in probably the fastest running shoe ever. And if it is good for them, it will be also great for all the passionate runners out there.”

“We are so pleased to officially announce our partnership with On. From our first conversation with the team, it was clear both companies were perfectly aligned in the pursuit of developing the fastest shoes that will ultimately help drive peak human performance. Together with the incredible team at On, we will revolutionize the running space from both a product and a performance standpoint”, Santara Tech manager Adam Acworth concludes.

High-res images available for download here (photo credit: On). 

About On

On was born in the Swiss Alps with one goal: to revolutionize the sensation of running by empowering all to run on clouds. Thirteen years after market launch, On delivers industry-disrupting innovation in premium footwear, apparel, and accessories for high-performance running, outdoor, and all-day activities. Fueled by customer recommendation, On’s award-winning CloudTec® innovation, purposeful design, and groundbreaking strides in sportswear’s circular economy have attracted a fast-growing global fan base — inspiring humans to explore, discover and dream on.

On is present in more than 60 countries globally and engages with a digital community on www.on.com.