Swissness rules loosened: On shoes will soon bear the Swiss cross

Martin Jungfer

23/3/2026

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

Until now, the rule was simple: only products made in Switzerland were allowed to carry the Swiss cross. But now the relevant authority has changed the rules – likely at the urging of Swiss sports brand On.

This dispute has been simmering for years. On, the Swiss sports and lifestyle brand, has been putting the Swiss cross on its products abroad for years. If you bought your sneakers in New York, Singapore or Shanghai, they’ll almost certainly have the «Swissness» label on them.

This is striking, because there are strict rules governing the use of the Swiss cross. Under Switzerland’s national Swissness law, at least 60 per cent of the production costs must be incurred domestically, and a substantial manufacturing step must take place in the country. But On only follows the Swissness law in Switzerland. Shoes sold here don’t carry the label. Why’s that? Because almost all its sports shoes and sneakers are made where labour is cheap – in Asia. With retail prices around 200 francs and manufacturing costs that are only a fraction of that, it’s obvious the 60 per cent threshold isn’t being met.

On’s quasi-illegal use of the Swiss cross abroad already drew the attention of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) and business associations years ago (linked article in German). The Swiss Enforcement group, funded in part by the IPI, was still trying until recently to force On to also remove the Swiss cross from shoes sold abroad. In mid-2025, even lawyers in China were examining whether the use of the Swiss cross was compatible with Chinese law (linked article in German), according to the NZZ newspaper.

A surprising turn of events

The result was a «tension-filled atmosphere», as the NZZ put it, between Swiss and Chinese authorities and On’s management. The company proposed settling the matter in court. But it seems the authorities didn’t want to risk a public legal battle with a flagship Swiss company after all.

The IPI has caved. Effective immediately, it’s now enough for a company to research, design or develop a product in Switzerland for it to be allowed to bear the Swiss cross. In a press release, the IPI writes:

It remains to be seen how much – or how little – Swiss work will be needed in the future to qualify for a kind of Swissness «lite» label. Will it be enough if some designer once made a sketch in an office somewhere in Appenzell? Or if an engineer in Ibach specified how the instruction leaflet is to be folded?

In its press release, the IPI makes no secret of its commitment to the interests of Swiss companies, stating the Swiss economy has been under considerable pressure for a while now because of the strength of the franc and high US tariffs. «Under these circumstances, it’s important to apply the law in favour of businesses as much as possible,» it writes. Especially with the US in mind, the IPI views overseas production as important for certain Swiss industries – and yet it would mean losing the right to use the Swiss cross and Swissness label on products.

The IPI does seem keen to make it clear that this loosening of rules doesn’t mark the onset of «On’s law». At least so far, there’s been no mention anywhere of On having its sneakers made in the US. But perhaps the watch industry will benefit if «Swiss watches» are allowed to come from factories in the US in the future.

And what does all this mean for Toblerone? After all, it was invented in Switzerland. But about three years ago, Toblerone’s parent company Mondelez had to change the packaging because, according to the Swiss authorities, there was no longer enough Swissness in Toblerone once it also started rolling off a production line in Slovakia.

Customers will need to keep their eyes open

The additional wording could be «Swiss Engineering», for instance, with a square Swiss cross between the two words. The IPI’s clarification reads as follows:

According to the IPI, this is meant to ensure the newly permitted label isn’t mistakenly interpreted as an indication of Swissness for the entire product.

On is pleased

Even though the IPI is trying to sell the immediately effective loosening of Swissness criteria as a relief for the whole Swiss economy, On is the most pleased – and the loudest about it. The shoe brand is celebrating the change as an expression of a modern understanding of Swissness, stating the move reflects the reality of Swiss value creation in this day and age.

It remains to be seen when On will standardise its shoe production. Not putting the Swiss cross on shoes for the Swiss market did have at least one advantage for On: it made it harder for shoes from abroad to enter Swiss retail unnoticed through parallel imports. If a retailer were to have an On shoe from abroad in stock – that is, one with a Swiss cross – On’s sales department would have been able to spot it quickly. Keeping control over who sells which On shoes in Switzerland, and at what price, is likely important for On. In Switzerland, the brand has generally been able to charge noticeably higher prices.

Do you care about the Swissness of products you buy? Do you pay attention to the Swiss cross?

Martin Jungfer

Head of Content

Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.ch

Journalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment. more

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