Why Kylian Mbappe's new boots remain a mystery as market disruptors On rip up the script

There have been no flashy events or glossy boot drops featuring their new poster boy since On announced their seismic expansion into the football space. Instead, they have taken a stripped-back approach, generating plenty of hype by building a mystique around their upcoming product.

First there was the photo shoot featuring Mbappe, their director of football and Arsenal legend Henry, tennis icon Roger Federer and Barcelona sensation Sydney Schertenleib, but no boots, in the unglamorous setting of the laboratory where the boots are being built and tested, and now On have taken us being the scenes of the development process.

Previously, you might only see a development boot on the training pitch, away from the lights and cameras, but On have changed that. Mbappe has already played and scored in On boots since officially leaving Nike behind in September, netting for France during the international break and for Real Madrid against Roma in the Champions League. But the whiteout silhouette with minimal On branding that we've seen on his feet is not the finished product.

The Swiss manufacturer is still describing this as a "prototype", reflected in the fact that the boots the Frenchman wore on international duty included the serial number 'ON-DCPT-KM010', while he turned out in the 'ON-DCPT-KM210' on his return to club action. They are ripping up the script, as we witness boot design in action in front of our very eyes.

GOAL understands the boot Mbappe wore is part of On's co-creation process with players, as they test it in match situations to assess performance, fit, lockdown, and durability in real playing conditions, using the superstar's feedback to continuously refine the product.

On's 'LightSpray' technology is fundamental to the design of the boot, which the brand says "enables a fundamentally different approach to footwear construction", giving them the ability to make changes to the construction, weight, fit and feel very quickly in response to any teething problems.

On tells GOAL that both laced and lace-less versions are being tested, suggesting we could see a different variation of the prototype soon. While the serial numbers help the designers track the different versions through testing, the brand insist that nothing they design is "purely decorative", and that those paying close attention might find there is "more to it than meets the eye".

Continuing to break away from the typical secrecy of football boot manufacturing and launches, On have taken their transparency to another level by leaking their own design process to the whole world. By cracking a riddle on On's website, using the serial numbers on Mbappe's prototypes as a password and following a specific set of steps, anyone is able to access behind-the-scenes imagery and video footage that show the stages of development and references.

This kind of access is unprecedented, driving intrigue and anticipation ahead of an as yet unannounced official launch. The sense of incompleteness only makes the imminent drop all the more exciting.

How the prototype evolves and morphs in the weeks and months to come remains to be seen, as the hype builds around Mbappe's debut boot with the market disruptors. It was previously reported that the Frenchman's decade-long deal with On will see him have his own signature line, alongside their general releases, while he also holds equity in the form of shares in the company, which has enjoyed a meteoric rise since it was founded just 16 years ago.

GOAL understands On's debut football collection will drop in 2027. In the meantime, the focus will remain on continuing to develop, test and fine-tune every detail alongside the likes of Mbappe, Schertenleib and whichever other active players the Swiss brand has quietly signed up.

Known as running shoe specialists, On has already shaken up the football boot space with the seismic capture of Mbappe and his heavy involvement in the design process, and there are no signs of that changing anytime soon as they prioritise innovation over all else.