On Laces Up in Melbourne

Editor’s note: We’ve partnered with On to celebrate the launch of the brand’s first Australian store in Emporium Melbourne. Enjoy these shots of the opening party and movement session.

On, the Swiss brand making waves in the worldwide sportswear market, has just opened its first Australian (and Oceanian) store in a prime CBD location on the ground floor of Melbourne’s Emporium shopping centre. These flagship premises, which opened to the public on Saturday 5 October, mark a significant milestone for the brand in the region. “This is part of our vision to become the global premium sportswear brand that's rooted in performance, innovation and sustainability,” says Manuela Erlacher, senior marketing lead for On Oceania. For the first time, Australian consumers will be able to browse a wide range of On’s performance apparel alongside its innovative footwear. Until now, On’s products have been available through its partnerships with different wholesalers, with over 700 “doors” in Australia, and with a focus primarily on footwear.

Trent Harlow, head of sales for On Oceania, explains why the new store is significant. “Many of the retailers we work with don’t sell apparel at all – here, we can present the full breadth of the collection, and it makes sense and looks really beautiful. People can touch and feel it as well.”

In choosing Melbourne for its 42nd global store, and only its second in the southern hemisphere, On carefully considered the city’s unique attributes, including its reputation as one of the world’s most liveable cities, which has fostered a strong running scene. “There’s a huge running community down here,” Harlow points out.

As well as this, the city’s mix of fashion-forward and sports-focused consumers, along with its role as a hub for major sporting and entertainment events, made it an ideal location for On’s Australian debut.

Already having a foothold helped the decision. “Melbourne’s where our headquarters are, so it makes it easy for us to come and activate the store,” Harlow explains.

The store’s design is, in part, a testament to On’s global aesthetic, featuring elegant metallic shelving units that display the entire On footwear collection available in the Oceania market, in every current colourway. These shelves form a strong visual grid that Erlacher explains is part of the design language of On stores globally.

Other design elements are more local. Melbourne’s strengths as a running city inform unique touch points across the store that reference the city’s urban and natural landscapes. “Melbourne is a city where everyday running is accessible and adventurous, where one can run from sandy beaches to urban zones, from parks to plazas, from bustling streets to quiet trails,” Erlacher says. These environments are echoed in the gradients, tones and textures used across different surfaces in the Emporium store.

While On has made headlines with high-profile collaborations in tennis (with On investor Roger Federer and with Iga Świątek) and other cultural spheres (with On creative partner FKA twigs and brand partner Zendaya), the brand remains firmly rooted in performance running. This commitment is exemplified by athletes such as Hellen Obiri, who wore On’s latest innovation, the Cloudboom Strike LightSpray, to win the 2024 Boston Marathon and claim a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

The Melbourne store aims to be more than just a retail space. Starting on 10 October, runners can join the On Run Club every Thursday at 6pm sharp, where the community can test the latest On shoes as they move through the CBD and along the Yarra River. Departing from the store, participants will set off on a run or walk through Melbourne’s cityscape, passing landmarks like Flinders Street Station, the MCG, Fitzroy Gardens and Birrarung Marr.

Designed for inclusivity and to support people beginning or building on their fitness journey, On Run Club will offer three options: two running groups at different paces and a walking group for those who prefer a more relaxed pace but still want to engage with the community. Participants will also have the chance to try on the latest On shoes, with the opportunity to test and discover the perfect model for their needs, guided by the store’s experts.

Erlacher emphasises the brand's commitment to community engagement. “Running is incredibly important. We want to incorporate some sort of movement in everything that we do,” she says.

“We also want to host more low-impact movement sessions, whether that’s Pilates or yoga, or going for a walk and then yoga or meditation. We want to incorporate all sorts of movement and really be inclusive.”

At the store’s launch events, this was on display with a yoga-mat movement session for invited community influencers and a dance performance inspired by FKA twigs’ “The Body Is Art” campaign for On.

This aligns with On’s mission to “ignite the human spirit through movement”, Harlow says. “I love our mission statement because I think if we can inspire people with great products or through our community events, we get more people to move. If it’s through running, or training, or tennis, or any of these other initiatives, we can bring that additional inspiration and excitement. People will be more inclined to do it, and it does change people’s lives.”

Running fans can also be assured that On Oceania has renewed its commitment to the On Track Nights series in Melbourne, again sponsoring and bringing a dose of festival-type energy to Zátopek:10 in December. Meanwhile, On Athletics Club Oceania, established in 2023 and led by coach Craig Mottram, is going strong, nurturing young Australian elites such as Claudia Hollingsworth.

For a brand that started with a radical footwear idea about soft landings and explosive take-offs – the promise made by its patented CloudTec soles – On’s arrival in Melbourne is perfectly timed. As the city gears up for the Melbourne Marathon on 13 October, runners will have a new destination to explore, whether they’re looking for their next race-day shoe or simply a place to connect with fellow running enthusiasts.