Swiss sportswear brand On has launched a new automated factory outside Busan, South Korea, to scale production of its innovative LightSpray running shoes. The facility, equipped with 32 industrial robots, aims to produce hundreds of thousands of pairs annually, following a pilot in Zurich. This expansion supports the global release of the LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper on April 16, 2026.
On's new LightSpray facility outside Busan features 32 industrial robots that spray filament onto shoe lasts to create uppers in just three minutes, producing seamless structures from a proprietary TPEU filament. Each pair weighs about 420 grams, uses no glue, generates almost no waste, and emits 70 percent fewer carbon emissions than traditional methods. The Busan plant, which follows a 2025 four-robot pilot in Zurich, is designed to increase LightSpray capacity thirtyfold in 2026, outputting hundreds of thousands of sneakers annually. A conventional factory would require around 200 workers for similar output, but in Busan, a handful of technicians monitor the process.
The entire LightSpray technology, including robots, spray paths, and software, was developed in-house after nearly two years of manual testing. On co-founder Caspar Coppetti said, “This is what we imagined for a long time. A place where we are completely in control of quality, speed, and precision. It’s calm, focused, and built around the runner.” Chief Innovation Officer Scott Maguire added, “We truly want to innovate within sports. There has to be a deeper purpose. It’s about creating something that genuinely improves people’s experience of movement and health.”
LightSpray gained prominence when Kenyan runner Hellen Obiri wore the Cloudboom Strike LS at the Paris Olympics and won the 2024 Boston Marathon in it. The first mass-produced model from Busan is the LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper, a super trainer for long and tempo runs, priced at $280. It features a 3D-printed upper and Helion Hyper foam midsole, weighing 205 grams in men's size 8.5—90 grams lighter than the standard Cloudmonster 3. Limited releases begin March 5, 2026, via On's stores and website, with a global launch on April 16.
Co-founder Oliver Bernhard, who tested prototypes for over 1,000 kilometers, emphasized performance: “We always start from performance. If lifestyle follows, that’s great. But it’s never where we begin.” On plans collaborations and further manufacturing expansions worldwide.
