On's Evolution and the Rise of Japan's Indie Running Scene

'Crew' Over Records

If running once meant a lonely 'competition' against the stopwatch, running in 2026 has become the coolest 'culture' and 'fashion' — self-expression and solidarity with a community.

At this paradigm shift's global front line stands Switzerland's On; at Asia's local front line, Japan's indie running brands. Here's the current state of 'running fashion' — no longer mere sportswear but a lifestyle genre of its own — and its business insights.

Performance Is the Lifestyle

The first to change the global standard was On. In Q1 2026, it broke CHF 800 million in revenue for the first time in its history, proving explosive momentum.

What's interesting: On doesn't do contrived fashion marketing. Its marketing is rigorously 'technology and innovation.'

Seamless Robot Production (LightSpray™)
Following Zurich, On opened its second robot factory in Busan, Korea — commercializing an innovation that sprays a shoe upper into being in mere minutes.

Crossing into High-End
The Cannes Lions gold-winning Zendaya campaign, the successful collaboration with Jonathan Anderson's Loewe, and the 'Lightness Studies' exhibition unveiled at Paris Fashion Week.

On never strained to play the lifestyle brand. It wrapped overwhelming performance and technology in the most refined visual language of all — proving to the world that 'function itself is the finest fashion.'

Tectonic Shifts in Japan's Local Market

The wave of 'culture-driven running' On threw open is being localized in its most fascinating form in the Japanese market.

Japan's running market is storm-growing — ¥420 billion as of 2025. As 'run crew' culture spreads explosively among urban youth, the protagonists of the scene have become not the big sports brands but 'garage brands' — the so-called indie running labels.

When the Crew's Identity Becomes the Clothing

Local indie brands like ELDORESO, MOUNTAIN MARTIAL ARTS, and ranor are the definitive cases — runners developing products from their own needs, becoming 'user = producer.'

Instead of the uniform logos of Nike and Adidas, the new rule for Japan's runners in their 20s and 30s is running caps and shorts blending original design with high-fashion sensibility — displaying crew belonging and individual character at once. Brooklyn-born culture running brand Bandit Running's swift landing in Japan in July 2025 attests to this scene's explosive force, too.

The Next Detonation Point: HYROX

The epicenter of the next running-based trend is HYROX. This indoor fitness race — alternating 1km runs with eight workout stations — has already passed 900,000 participants worldwide as of 2026.

In Korea, HYROX has drawn buzz with influencers like SHINee's Minho competing. It's evolving beyond a fitness test into 'a glittering fashion arena for its participants.' With PUMA moving fast to become a global partner and design dedicated apparel, HYROX wear — fusing function with a trend-right fit — is drawing attention as the next mega trend after running-core.

Sourcing Insights for the Working Buyer

Buy the 'Community'
Select shop buyers sourcing the running category can no longer look at function alone. As with Japan's ELDORESO or Brooklyn's Bandit Running, the decisive sales indicator is now 'what culture and community exists behind this brand.'

The Collapse of the Lifestyle–Performance Boundary
As On proved, buying that separates 'for exercise' from 'for daily life' is a relic. Focus on high-end technical gear that carries both at once: structural silhouettes that mix perfectly with commute slacks, and overwhelming technical capability in the materials.