The Shoe Subscription – On Running

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Yesterday I switched from the trail gloves I have been wearing since May for some new ones. The old shoes are still wearable, for indoor activities or for road trips but they have reached their limit.

Just a Worn Sole

The only thing wrong with these shoes is that the sole, where my heel pushes the ground has worn through. It no longer provides support for my heel, especially for long walks. As a result I feel the pressing need to swap shoes. The top is still fine and the back of the shoe is still fine. It's only the sole that has worn through. The material on top is fine. The laces are fine. If I wasn't walking eight to ten kilometres a day I would keep them in service because they're fine. They lasted for around five or six months through ninety activities, whether walking, hiking, or running. I am happy with them.

I am so happy with them that if I could get a subscription to trail gloves I would. I walked 668 kilometres without problems.

CloudNeo

On Running is a Swiss company that makes shoes, clothing, and accessories, for a number of sports, such as running, hiking and more. They have a subscription offer that replaces shoes every six months or so. The subscription costs 35 Swiss Francs per Month and you get new shoes when the old ones are worn out. The shoes are made to be environmentally friendly, and recycled, in house, rather than externally. In so doing they promote the Cloud Neo as shoes that you never own, you just wear them out, send them back, get a new pair.

A quick search and I find that shoes are meant to be thrown in the bin, if single, or recycled, if as a pair, rather than recycled and I hate this idea. All shoes, when ground up, can be recycled and turned into new shoes or other products. The shoes themselves are increasingly made from recycled materials, so it makes sense to reuse the material again.

How it Works

With Cloud Neo you begin your subscription, get a pair of shoes, make sure they're the right size, and if they are not send them back, and if they are you wear them for ninety days. After ninety days you check them for signs of wear and tear, and when they need to be replaced, you send in your old shoes and a new pair will be sent to you. The old shoes are cleaned, ground up, and turned into new shoes. To simplify the process the shoes are not dyed.

Price

You have less than a month to try the shoes, and decide whether to send them back or not. You then have six months where you're locked into the contract. After that you can terminate the contract within a month, as is the case with most monthly contracts. I calculated that it would cost 210 CHF minimum and 420 CHF per year. The question is whether you would require enough shoes for the subscription to amortise itself.

If this option existed for Merrel trail gloves I would take it without hesitation. In this case I hesitate because I don't know the brand, I don't know the shoes and I don't know the feel. I saw that I can get a pair of shoes from this brand for 129 CHF from Galaxus, to test the feel, before committing to six months or more.

And Finally

If Decathlon or Merrel offered a shoe subscription I would sign up. I need shoes every few months because of all my walking, and knowing that the shoes are recycled and reused would be pleasant. If I already used On shoes, then it could make sense as I would save money. At the moment this deal would cost me more than I spend at the moment. The shoes I have now should last until next summer, as long as they are not too cold in winter.