While I have generally average feet that can handle most shoes with relative ease (a good problem to have here at Run Oregon), switching to new shoes always makes me a little bit nervous. I have run in On shoes before, but it has been over 8 years and I believe was one of the first shoes they ever made! The new On Cloudrunner released in late April 2022 and we have been testing them out for a few weeks.
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Looks:
If there’s one thing that On can consistently provide, it is a beautiful looking shoe. I swear every time I walk past a shoe store with a display window and see any pair of On, I immediately want to buy them. They just make fantastic looking footwear.
And, this style absolutely carries over to their running-specific shoes. This is just a quality looking pair of shoes that fits in literally every setting – running or otherwise. The first few times I put these on, it was not tested on the roads putting in miles, but instead paired with a pair of jeans to casually wear out and about. I am pretty sure every time out, someone mentioned how cool the shoes were. No joke.
Honestly, if you didn’t know these were made for running, you could do worse than having these as a casual pair of shoes in your closet. I just love them.
Construction:
Upper:
Besides looking beautiful, the upper of the Cloudrunner has function too. The mesh construction is designed to provide some security while still allowing for breathability along the way. There are currently only two colorways and I think we got the best of them. This Alloy/Moss colorway is simple, yet with an understated “pop” that really hits the mark.
Midsole:
On boasts about their “super-soft landing” with their CloudTec cushioning in “ultralight Zero-Gravity foam”. I talk a little more about the feeling of the midsole below.
Outsole:
The bottom is really where On really burst onto the scene – with their clouds on the bottom that were new (i.e. “weird) and eye-popping. This, for good reason, has been modified over the years and though there still is a similar vibe, newer versions seem much more rooted in function and comfort than their initial prototypes all those years ago. In my historical review, I mentioned some slippage on the soles that never really went away. While I appreciated them and they were never a huge issue, I just never felt truly comfortable in them over time. The Cloudrunner (and I would imagine most On shoes now) seems to have remedied this and the traction is quite nice actually.
Fit:
Positives
First and foremost, I will remind everyone that my sole experience with On running shoes is coming up on almost a decade. Obviously comparing footwear across this distance of time isn’t the most helpful. Shoot, if a shoe company hasn’t made modifications in 8+ years, they probably don’t still exist.
Clearly, the Cloudrunners are a significant upgrade to my previous experience – which duh. The shoes just fit like a running shoe should – with both a comfort and support that I appreciated. The clouds underneath aren’t noticeable (as initial pairs awkwardly were) and the inside, including the tongue and heel padding, feel plush and supportive. I found the lockdown to be good enough and the inside was one of the nicer straight-from-the-box fits I have experienced. I also felt that there was also more than enough room in the toebox for the majority of runners.
Basically, the fit of the Cloudrunners may rival any pair out there.
For Consideration:
I do, however, believe that these run on the firmer side. While there is some gentle springiness to the shoe, overall I found it having a more rigid feel underneath. Obviously runners have preferences when it comes to road feel, but if you are used to a more cushioned ride, you may want to check out the On Cloudmonster instead.
The On Cloudrunner (10.5+ ounces in men) is also probably made more for distances that don’t require extended turnover. I never felt I was going to be lighting any roads on fire when putting these on, but my daily run experience in them has been pleasant every time. I’d say most “average” runners logging somwhere less than 45-60 minutes per run will experience minimal issues with the weight and foot feel – but I definitely noticed a little fatigue on longer runs. To be fair, On markets this shoes on the actual purchase page as being ideal for medium distances and not for racing, and we agree.
Overall:
Overall, these are light years better than the first On shoes I ever wore. I’ve already put more miles in these then the first pair. Those, while a fun venture and experience in the short term, ended up wearing down my feet past 100 or so miles. The Cloudrunners are a breath of fresh air in the On running line, even if its not a perfect shoe. I feel it can get the job done in certain settings quite nicely – mostly as a daily trainer for short to medium distances (say 3-7 miles).
The Cloudrunners are also pretty accessible in the price department. $140 is still an investment, but this is a pretty approachable cost for On (and honestly with most daily trainers in 2022).
We would recommend these, with the above listed caveats. We expect to continue utilizing these on a daily basis, and likely morphing into a crossover “travel” pair – functional enough to use while running with a look that can easily pass as casual when not putting in miles.
On
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Products & Price:
- On Cloudrunner | Released on April 21, 2022 for $140
- Weight: 10.58oz (M9); 8.1oz (W9)
- Offset: 9mm
- Colors:
- Alloy/Moss (reviewed)
- Eclipse/Frost
- Wide sizes are expecting to drop May 26, 2022!
Thank you to On for providing us with test shoes. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
