Swiss sportswear brand On has introduced a new version of its popular Cloud X 5 running shoe featuring the CleanCloud midsole, which is made using a material derived from captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. CleanCloud replaces fossil-based raw materials with captured carbon dioxide.

During the manufacturing process, carbon emissions from industrial sources are captured before they are released into the atmosphere. These emissions are then combined with green hydrogen produced using renewable energy. The mixture is converted into e-naphtha, which is used to produce EVA foam. This process creates a high-performance material by turning captured carbon emissions into a key ingredient for the shoe.

According to the company, the new material performs exactly like conventional EVA because the ethylene produced from captured carbon has the same molecular structure as standard ethylene. As a result, important technical properties such as molecular weight, polymer chain length and melting point remain unchanged.