In episode 372 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Nils Altrogge, head of technology innovation at On, the fast-growing specialty running brand. Altrogge discusses the Swiss sports brand's mission (0:46), his professional background (2:09), and the factors to which he attributes On's rapid growth (3:50). The footwear brand recently debuted the first shoe made of carbon emissions, and Altrogge details the goals behind this sustainable initiative (5:56) as well as the scalability of the technology behind the shoe (8:20).

In addition, Altrogge shares the intricate internal and external collaboration fueling innovative projects at On (9:56), as well as how the brand is educating consumers on its products' positive environmental impact through its marketing efforts (13:06). He details how the company manifests its commitment to sustainability across the organization, including its goals to become fossil-free and circular by 2023 (15:23). Lastly, Altrogge discusses the innovative environmental work being done by On's technology team (18:30) and the company's product returns process that enables circularity (22:04).

Nils Altrogge is currently the head of technology innovation at On, where he's been heavily involved in the innovation team in various roles for over eight years. He leads a group of interdisciplinary engineers and innovators that are responsible for the development and conceptualization of forward-thinking footwear products. By combining novel manufacturing concepts, data-driven engineering, and fossil-free materials, his team aims for circular solutions that allow runners to perform effortlessly across all environments.