On has spent the last few years becoming the running shoe you see literally everywhere, from the marathon corral to the coffee shop line. So watching it hand a carbon-plated race shoe to POST ARCHIVE FACTION, the cult South Korean label known for deconstructed, gallery-adjacent menswear, is a slightly strange yet very welcome move. This is collaboration number four, and it anchors the new Current Form 4.0 collection.
On Keeps Betting on PAF
There’s something really impressive about a brand this accessible repeatedly teaming up with a partner this experimental. PAF was an LVMH Prize finalist back in 2021, and it built its name on architectural, asymmetric clothing most people will never wear, let alone run in.
On could coast on mass appeal and crank out safe colorway swaps forever. Instead it keeps handing over the keys, following last year’s wild Cloudmonster Hyper with something even stranger. That’s a flex most household-name brands wouldn’t risk.
A Moth, Mid-Transformation
The upper is where PAF shows up in full force. Intricate overlays sit over a layered blend of breathable mesh and woven fabric, arranged to mimic a moth clawing its way out of a cocoon (metamorphosis being the thread tying all of Current Form 4.0 together).
Whether that story does anything for you or not, the geometry gives the shoe a sculptural, almost architectural look that feels much closer to PAF’s runway work than anything you’d expect toeing a start line. An integrated wrap construction locks the fit down so nothing shifts when you’re pushing the pace.
It Still Runs Like a Volt
Of course, it’s still a running shoe at the end of the day. On packed in a double layer of its Helion HF hyper foam for energy return and impact absorption, plus the same carbon Speedboard that flexes through your stride across the brand’s entire competition range.
CloudTec smooths out the heel-to-toe transition, and a rubber outsole keeps you planted through corners. It’s dialed for the 10K-to-half-marathon range, and at just 7.76 ounces, it’s stupid light for something this structurally busy.
Restraint, in Two Colorways
Both options stay deliberately muted. White/Gale keeps it pale and clean, while Ember/Pebble leans warm and earthy, sidestepping the loud colorblocking most race shoes lean on.
The shoe also lands with a full PAF-reworked kit, the Zero Jacket, Zero Singlet, Zero 2-in-1 Shorts, Running T, Run Belt, Zero Cap, and Run Socks. Limited edition across the board.
Spec Sheet
Brand: On x POST ARCHIVE FACTION
Model: Cloudboom Volt PAF
Collection: Current Form 4.0
Midsole: Double-layer Helion HF hyper foam
Plate: Carbon Speedboard
Outsole: CloudTec with rubber
Weight: 7.76 oz
Distance Range: 10K to half marathon
Colorways: White/Gale, Ember/Pebble
Price: $280
Pricing & Availability
The Cloudboom Volt PAF is available now as of its June 25th launch, sold through On’s website, PAF, and select retail partners for $280. That’s a fairly sane number for a carbon-plated collab racer.
Recap
On Cloudboom Volt PAF
On hands its carbon-plated Cloudboom Volt to South Korea’s POST ARCHIVE FACTION, wrapping a legit 10K-to-half racer in a moth-inspired, gallery-ready upper. .
