Consumer Protection Group Takes Legal Action Against On Shoes

The golden child of Swiss innovation is facing a reckoning. The consumer affairs bureau of French-speaking Switzerland (FRC) has officially filed a legal complaint against sports giant On, shattering the brand's carefully curated eco-friendly image. The accusation is blunt and damaging: greenwashing. At the heart of this legal storm is the company's aggressive marketing of its Cloudneo sneaker, a product touted as the pinnacle of sustainability. The FRC asserts that the brand's advertising campaigns bear "all the hallmarks of greenwashing," a charge that strikes directly at the credibility of a company counting tennis legend Roger Federer among its shareholders.

This is not merely a regulatory slap on the wrist; it is a direct challenge to corporate integrity. The FRC decided to escalate the matter to the courts after discussions with On reportedly resulted in nothing more than "minor changes to their website." The bureau's move signals a refusal to accept superficial compliance, demanding accountability from one of Switzerland's most visible global exports. As the legal machinery begins to turn, On finds itself grappling with a public relations crisis that threatens to undermine its standing with environmentally conscious consumers.

Since 2022, On has captivated the market with a seductive promise: the Cloudneo shoe is "100% recyclable, ad infinitum." It is a bold claim of circular economy perfection. However, the reality exposed by Swiss public broadcaster RTS paints a starkly different picture. In a damning revelation from June 2024, RTS discovered that despite the sale of tens of thousands of pairs, the promised recycling loop was effectively non-existent. At the time of the investigation, not a single Cloudneo trainer had completed the recycling process.

This gap between marketing rhetoric and operational reality is the crux of the FRC's complaint. Consumers were sold a vision of infinite sustainability, yet the infrastructure to support that claim appeared to be lagging significantly behind the sales figures. The disparity suggests a troubling scenario where the allure of sustainability is used to drive revenue long before the environmental benefits are realized. For a brand that built its reputation on precision engineering and performance, the allegation that its flagship sustainable product was—until recently—a dead end for recycling is a significant blow to its narrative.

On is not taking these accusations lying down. The Zurich-based firm vehemently rejects the allegations, launching a defense grounded in recent data. According to the manufacturer, the recycling mechanism is now operational, with an initial round of approximately 1,000 shoes processed in August 2024. They assert a high level of technical efficiency, claiming that "more than 90% of each Cloudneo shoe is recycled into the components of new On shoes."

The company further clarifies that the remaining material is not discarded but repurposed by partners for other industrial products, insisting that "none of the Cyclon products returned to On were landfilled." This defense attempts to shift the narrative from a failure of intent to a question of timing. By highlighting the August 2024 recycling batch, On aims to prove that their circular system is functional, even if it ramped up later than the marketing hype suggested. The court will now have to decide whether this late-stage execution excuses years of absolute claims.

This legal battle unfolds against the backdrop of a critical legislative shift in Switzerland. As of January 2025, the nation has enforced a stringent new law against unfair competition, specifically targeting environmental claims. The legislation explicitly bans advertising "concerning climate impact that cannot be proven on objective and verifiable grounds." This statutory change arms consumer protection groups with powerful new ammunition and places the burden of proof squarely on corporations.

The outcome of the FRC vs. On case will likely set a precedent for how this law is interpreted and enforced. It serves as a stark warning to all Swiss enterprises: the era of vague sustainability jargon is over. Companies must now ensure their operational reality matches their marketing copy, or face legal consequences. For On, the timing is precarious. They are not just fighting a single complaint; they are navigating a new regulatory landscape where "objective and verifiable" are the only metrics that matter.