Mbappe leaves Nike to join Angrun, a new running shoe brand challenges the football market.

On, the Swiss sportswear brand that started with high-end running shoes, has officially expanded its business into the football market.

On September 18, Onrun announced a partnership with French football star Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé will serve as a global brand ambassador and will be directly involved in the research and development and testing of future football boots and apparel.

Meanwhile, French football legend Thierry Henry has been appointed as the Football Director of Angrun, responsible for product development, player partnerships, and football culture. According to Angrun, Henry has been involved behind the scenes in the brand's strategy and product preparation for entering the football market since the end of 2025.

Swiss player Sidney Schötenleb, who plays for FC Barcelona Women, will also participate in product development and testing. She has been an ambassador for Angrun's training and lifestyle brand since December 2025, and this collaboration further extends into the football field.

According to Reuters, Onrun plans to launch its first football boots in 2027.

This is not the first time Onrun has ventured beyond the running track. Its previous collaboration with tennis star Roger Federer has become a significant turning point for it to break out of the niche running shoe market and expand its global brand awareness.

But football is different. This world-class sport for all has long been a core battleground for multi-sports brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma. The competition goes far beyond selling a single pair of shoes: professional players, clubs, national teams, leagues, and event sponsorships together form a sophisticated business network.

By placing Mbappe at the center of its football business, Angpao essentially binds a top athlete to a new product category that has yet to establish market recognition, before the first pair of football boots is even officially launched.

Angrun plans to introduce LightSpray technology, previously used in racing shoes, into its football products, with professional players participating in testing and adjustments.

As this football expansion takes place, Angpao's growth structure is also changing.

In 2025, Ampang's net sales exceeded 3 billion Swiss francs for the first time, reaching 3.014 billion Swiss francs, representing a year-on-year increase of 30%.

Footwear still contributed CHF 2.804 billion, accounting for the vast majority of revenue, but sales of apparel and accessories grew by 68.2% and 124.1% respectively, significantly faster than the 27.5% growth in footwear.

This divergence continued into 2026. In the second quarter, sales of apparel and accessories increased by 47.7% and 88.3% year-on-year, respectively, while footwear sales grew by 10.9%.

During the same period, the company's overall net sales increased by 13.5% year-on-year, a significant slowdown compared to the 30% growth for the whole of 2025; excluding the impact of exchange rates, the growth rate in the second quarter was 21.6%.

The company previously stated that, in a market environment with intense promotional competition, it is proactively controlling the procurement of goods through some wholesale channels in order to maintain full-price sales and a high-end positioning.

After its annual sales reached 3 billion Swiss francs, Onrun needs to prove not only how much bigger it can grow its running shoe business, but also whether this growth logic of a high-end sports brand can continue to hold true after leaving its most familiar home turf of running.

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