Roger Federer has become a running shoe entrepreneur. ETH Zurich engineering made it possible

Tennis champion Roger Federer has joined forces with Swiss running shoe maker, On, to help design the future of sneakers.

Plenty of athletes have endorsement deals with sports apparel manufacturers, but Roger Federer's deal with Swiss running shoe company On is very different. The tennis champion has invested in the firm and will be consulting on product design.

Like On, Federer is Swiss, and the 38-year-old is still playing tennis at the very highest level, but the deal gives a hint of what his retirement might look like. He says that in addition to consulting on design, he will work on brand building and marketing as the company continues to expand globally, as well as playing a leadership role with employees.

A decade later and the company now has shoe models for road running, trail running, and for lifestyle wear. While its Cloud shoe is the second most-sold sneaker in Germany, On's largest market is America and the company has recently opened an office in China.

As it begins to develop the lifestyle part of its brand, On's founders say the company will not lose sight of its core mission. While many fashion sneakers have focused on the design of the upper, and paid little attention to the sole, On is determined to make its lifestyle shoes light and comfortable, just like the ones it makes for athletes.

So far, the approach has been a successful one. The shoes have been worn by everyone from top athletes to film stars, so when the founders spotted Federer wearing them, it made sense to get in touch.

Neither Federer nor On were interested in a typical sponsorship agreement. As a 'sneakerhead' who has more than 300 pairs of sneakers at home, Federer was interested in a brand that shares his Swiss roots. After a handful of meetings Federer was visiting On's headquarters every time he was in Zurich to offer feedback on everything from design to marketing. It wasn't long before he and the On team decided that they wanted to work together.

Though Federer's role will be limited while he remains a tennis professional, he is already involved with his work at On. The first On model with input from Federer will be released in the middle of this year. The company is reticent about what kind of shoe it will be but given Federer's record there's a high chance that it will be a winner.