On Running: Curse of The Financebro
Of course financebros have to ruin everything...
It wouldn’t be a Theodore post if I weren’t piggybacking off my most recent post and adding onto the conversation.
But let’s break it down. On Running. Probably the most swagless footwear/clothing line to date… or is it? The harsh reality for the clothing brand is that On Running as has been ruined by the most swagless professionals in the game — people who work in finance. Puffer vests, button-up checkered shirts, khakis and On Clouds seem to be the pussy-less banker bro uniform. Why? idk.
Unaesthetic and expensive seem to be the common criticisms when it comes to the brand… and to be honest I don’t think that’s uncalled for… at least right now. Even Mariano has been very open about his disdain for the label. While casually, the brand sucks ass, but it is making big (and somewhat controversial) strides in the running space. Meaningless holes in the sole, or actual performance? Only time will tell what the verdict is, but for now, the opinion is split 50/50; however, when worn appropriately, it looks very good (imo).
Last week, I discussed Post Archive Faction, and I made a nod to their collaboration with On. I truly believe that the PAF x On collection looks good and it makes sense. It created a symbiotic relationship between the two where it brought a wider exposure to one (PAF), and made the other look less lame (On). It was a moment that both labels needed as it was a fairly accessible celebration of what On could truly become.
Now onto today’s post. Today, I’m going to look at On Running and where it fits in today’s fashion zeitgeist, reflect on what they’ve done and critique where applicable, as well as look at what they can do to improve in the future. I’m not going to go into the history because I think there are more important things to discuss, but if you’re interested, have a gander at this article by Finish Line
A common misconception is that a lot of On’s mainline gear is bad. That’s simply not true. I would argue that a lot of their apparel is an elevated version of Lululemon, which I would actually consider a good thing — I understand that the Lulu bar is quite low. There is a lot of tennis apparel because it’s backed by Roger Federer, as well as a lot of running gear because that’s the label’s bread and butter. I‘m personally a fan of their tennis warmup pants, as I think they look amazing. I’ll drop some running gear below for eyes to enjoy.
On is very hell-bent on ingenuity and ‘Swiss engineering’ so they’re always using different materials or materials in a new way. I had one of their racing singlets that they did as a small collaboration with Distance Athletics and the top was incredibly soft, thin and lightweight. Obviously, it’s going to be lightweight (it’s a singlet), but I was impressed with how it was constructed — but I had to return cause I’m too much of a fat ass, and my ego couldn’t handle it.
I’ve mentioned in the newsletter before that I think their strictly casual apparel is nice (no technology, just plain sweats), but quite hard to come by — I haven’t seen it on their own website, but have on their stockists’ sites. My opinion remains the same as it did on the Top Picks it would be hard to change that.
Collaborations
On has a very limited catalogue when it comes to collaborations, but I would argue that it’s more about being selective and intentional, rather than no one wanting to. I’ll do a quick rundown of previous collaborations they’ve done and explain the impact that it’s had on the brands.
South2 West8 x On:
Collaborating with the Japanese label, South2 West8, They decided to drop a new take on the Cloudaway. Being the outdoor brand that it is, all the marketing surrounded models using the shoe as a hiking shoe. While it is considered a trail shoe, it would mostly be used in the city streets, and a major downside to the collab is that it was just the shoes — there was no apparel line to go with it.
I enjoyed how the model looked, but the S2 W8 pattern on top was a big miss, imo. The model matches the same energy as its collaborators, but other than that, it’s not very special — not a very versatile shoe. I think it would’ve been great if they had an apparel collection to go with it and maybe having a similar pattern on a pair of shorts or jacket could have changed my mind.
Post Archive Faction x On:
I spoke on the collaboration last week so I won’t go into the details of the collaboration — you can read that here.
Safe to say, I’m a big fan of it. In my previous post, I discussed that I think the collab was a means of growing and improving runningcore, but the more I reflect, I realise that this collab was much more than that.
I spoke with a friend and we agreed that the collab positively affected both brands — PAF was given a wider market, and On gained clout. This was a step in the right direction for On Running. Let’s be honest, On is a very irrelevant label in fashion. People don’t think about the brand and it’s never in the conversation of style; However, PAF is in the conversation. The collab indirectly brought On into the conversation — Kind of like when your mum makes you bring your little brother when you hang out with your friends (I would know, I’m the little brother).
What I liked most about it was that while the garments were a little more expensive than most of On’s stuff, yet it was drastically cheaper than a lot of PAF’s clothing — making PAF attire much more accessible to the plebians who saved their pennies (like me). This collab made sense and if On wants to be relevant they need to continue down this path.
Loewe x On:
But you would be mistaken if you thought they would.
In comes On’s multiple collabs with Loewe. The latest collab features some exquisite clothing and some equally appealing footwear choices (especially compared to the previous offerings).
However, there is a major flaw to these collections — They’re far too expensive. I get that Loewe is a designer label, but $2,500 AUD for a puffer from a running brand? I don’t think so.
It’s giving ✨ tone deaf ✨ to me.
On Running is a Swiss brand. Switzerland, as a country, is a very expensive place to visit; I get that… but to charge $650 for a pair of shorts is straight up [REDACTED], and no sane runner would consider spending that much on clothing.
I find that really disappointing. I think it was a wasted opportunity to allow the commoners to experience great craftsmanship from a fashion titan such as Loewe, and instead, they can only look from afar.
Even the footwear choices are silly expensive ($840???), and you’re only paying for that 3x markup because of the logo on it! Who is going to buy that when you can save yourself $600 and just cop the GR version? — idiots, rich idiots, that’s who.
Don’t get me wrong. I think this collaboration looks amazing, but it just isn’t reasonable for your average Joe to be spending that kinda money on clothing that’s gonna sweat-stain, get muddied, or anything like that. The collabs team is so out of touch with what their consumers could be.
I understand that On’s casual market is aimed at the wealthy — given that financebros got it in a chokehold, but it could be so much more than that. I have never been disappointed with any of the products that I’ve acquired, and I’ll continue to cop… as long as it’s on sale or it’s a worthwhile investment (not monetary, but in myself — health is wealth or whatever they say). I see so much potential for what it could be, but the failures are coming from inside the house.