Fashion
A Top Running Shoe Brand Just Dropped A Fashion Sneaker
The raffle to purchase this shoe is closed, but top retailers will have it in stock, too.
As fashion brands continue to churn out sneakers to meet growing demands, athletic-focused shoe labels are starting to tap into a brand new market of customers by launching their own products that seamlessly combine style and performance. On Thursday, the Swiss brand On, which has garnered a cult following among runners and the attention of world tennis champ Roger Federer as an investor, will drop its first-ever fashion sneaker called Cloudnova.
The company has been building hype around the launch since the end of April, hosting a raffle on its website for interested customers until May 6, who are then notified if they can actually place a purchase. And while the draw for the Cloudnova is already closed, top fashion retailers will have it for sale, too, including Dover Street Market, Bodega, Shoe Gallery, and Machus, as well as MATCHESFASHION online.
"Over the past few years we've seen an emergence of performance sportswear and outdoor gear not only on the tracks and in the mountains but on the runways in Paris and New York, as well," said co-founder David Allemann in a statement to NYLON. "We're living in a new reality, particularly now, where people are craving comfort and flexibility in their lives and as an explorer brand born in the Swiss mountains, we’re always up to challenge conventions."
Although On's new sneaker, which retails for $150, applies more to lifestyle than the avid runner, it still boasts the brand's signature performance tech features, like its award-winning CouldTec® sole. Plus, the sneaker itself is constructed as a sock (which brings to mind Balenciaga's coveted Speed Trainer, or "the ones that look like socks," according to Cardi B.), so it's not only weightless and cushioned to wear all day, but agile enough for your at-home workouts, too.
"The Cloudnova is the first sneaker with On’s technology that challenges the comfort, lightness, and performance of a contemporary sneaker," said Allemann. "With retail partners like Dover Street Market and Bodega, who have pioneered how we experience fashion and are themselves champions of radical new ideas, it was only natural and logical to turn to them to help us launch a product at the intersection of fashion and performance."
Visit On's website to learn more about the new Cloudnova, or shop the sneaker now (and while it's still in stock), below.
