It is expanding robotics factories to manufacture cloud-like sneakers

Popular sneaker brand On announced Wednesday that it is expanding its robotics production facility and opening a new location in South Korea.

The Swiss brand is famous for its sophistication RunTraining and lifestyle sneakers with a deeply cushioned, cloud-like sole. On opened its first robotics factory in Zurich in July 2025, after four years of development, and began production with four robots to make the first tetherless robot. LightSpray Cloudboom Strike LS Shoe.

A representative for On did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The process involves a robotic arm that sprays On’s signature LightSpray material onto the shoe, creating a one-piece light upper in just a few minutes. With the new location, the company plans to increase production with 32 additional automated robots.

As robots and artificial intelligence continue to move deeper into companies, there is debate about what this could mean for human workers. Recently this year CES eventIt’s clear that robots are here to stay, with Hyundai unveiling its own Atlas of Boston Dynamics Humanoid Robot among other robot offerings. Robot manufacturing companies are also expanding Using humanoid robots To undertake specific tasks, perhaps for domestic use; However, the technology has not yet advanced enough to be fully reliable.

Proponents say robots can help in certain situations, e.g Social robots help children build confidence When reading out loud. In other cases, it can increase efficiency in a warehouse or factory and help around the home. But critics say automation could lead to more job losses, even more Eliminate entry-level jobs.

In addition to the site’s announcement, On LightSpray will launch the Cloudmonster 3 Hyper, the first upper of the shoe designed at the new factory. According to On, the shoe is the ultimate superior trainer for long runs and speed runs, which are specific training runs where you run at a moderate to hard pace. The new shoe will be available first in North America on March 5, then globally on April 16.

On says that using robots to make its latest shoes reduces waste and carbon emissions, as well as reducing the time it takes to design an upper compared to hand-made shoes.

“The beauty of LightSpray is that we can precisely program each robot, whether in Zurich or Busan, to execute precisely tailored movements to craft the unique look and feel of each shoe,” Scott McGuire, On’s chief innovation officer, said in a statement.

On chose South Korea as the location of its second factory because of the country’s progress in automation and robotics, and hopes to continue expanding its factories globally over the next few years. The company aims to start production in the Americas and increase production in Europe.