On, the Swiss running brand, is exploring how to expand its LightSpray automated manufacturing system beyond its current facilities in Switzerland and South Korea, with Europe as the next potential region, according to Glossy. The brand launched the robotic spray technology in 2022, using a single-piece thermoplastic upper applied by machine in under three minutes per shoe, eliminating traditional cut-and-sew assembly. On now wants to test whether the system can be replicated closer to key retail markets without losing the speed or quality advantage that defined the original deployment.
The LightSpray system applies liquid polymer directly onto a last, building the shoe upper in one continuous process with no material waste from cutting fabric. The robots require climate control and operator oversight but no skilled stitching labor. On operates the original line in Switzerland and a second facility in South Korea, according to Glossy, giving the brand two test sites with different cost structures and proximity to different customer clusters. The technology was introduced for a limited-edition model and has since expanded to a broader performance line, with the brand treating each factory as a controlled experiment in regional manufacturing.
The move works because it decouples sneaker production from low-wage geographies and ties it instead to delivery speed and tariff mitigation. Traditional athletic footwear manufacturing concentrates in Vietnam and Indonesia, where labor cost per pair is measured in single-digit dollars but ocean freight and customs add weeks of lead time and exposure to trade policy shifts. On's robot system inverts that calculation: higher upfront capital and operating cost per facility, but the ability to place production within 500 kilometers of major retail concentrations in Western Europe, cutting transport time to days and enabling smaller, more frequent production runs that match demand signals in real time. The system also sidesteps most tariff schedules because the shoe is manufactured in-region rather than imported as a finished good.
A small physical-product brand running a similar nearshoring play does not need a robotic spray line. The steal is this: identify one product in your catalog that moves fast, has predictable reorder volume, and currently ships from Asia with a 45- to 60-day lead time. Contract with a regional manufacturer—Eastern Europe for EU buyers, Mexico for US brands, Turkey for Middle East distribution—and negotiate a small minimum order quantity test, targeting 500 to 1,000 units per run. The per-unit cost will be 20 to 40 percent higher than your current Asian supplier, but you gain the ability to restock in 10 to 14 days and respond to a spike in demand without holding three months of safety inventory. Run the first batch as a controlled test on your fastest SKU, track the sell-through rate, and compare the margin impact of holding less dead stock against the higher cost of goods. If the math closes, migrate a second SKU. Nearshoring works best for products with high cubic density, stable demand, and short fashion cycles where being early beats being cheap.
On's European manufacturing exploration also signals a hedge against fragmented trade policy. Brands with global customer bases now face diverging tariff regimes, sustainability disclosure requirements, and carbon border adjustments that penalize long-distance freight. Producing within the consumption region collapses those variables into a single decision: build where you sell. The robot advantage is that automation makes small-batch regional production economically viable without the wage arbitrage that previously justified offshoring.