Running Shoe Review: On Cloudrunner

In the past I have been the type of runner who found a running shoe that worked for me and stuck with that shoe until it stopped working - either due to changes in my feet/running gait, or changes to the shoe. The theory was a simple one - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Over the years I have gone through most of the more popular brands and the shoes that are made for my feet - Nike Air Structure Triax, Asics 2100 series and Kayano, and more recently, I've been running in the Brooks Adrenaline GTS.

Early this year I gave the Brooks Pure Cadence a go and really liked the change of pace. Because this is a lighter, lower stack shoe, I was mainly using these for shorter and/or faster runs. After slowly introducing these to my routine with shorter and easier runs, the change of pace was nice. I found the Pure Cadence's lower stack height put a different stress on my legs than my main shoe. This experience has opened me up to trying other options.

Over the months I had read some very favorable reviews about the Cloudrunner, from the Swiss manufacture On. Review after review raved about the feel and comfort from the very first run. This is not normal I thought. So, I went online, purchased a pair, and waited for them to arrive.

First Impression - The first thing you notice when you take the shoes out of the box is the CloudTec - the ringlets on the bottom of the shoes - designed to give you a softer landing than your typical running shoe. The second thing you notice is the shoes are pretty cool looking. The dark grey shoe with an aqua colored sole come with two shoelace options.

First Run - Putting these shoes on for the first time is a different experience. Walking around you can feel the pods under your feet, a bit unusual in feel. Once out on the road, however, the awkward feel quickly went away. Much to my surprise the Cloudrunner was comfortable, responsive, and easy on the legs. After 10 miles my legs still felt relatively fresh with a lot of life in them.

If you are interested, you can see how the technology works here.

The Next 200 Miles - Over the past few months I have put a little over 200 more miles on my Cloudrunners, on mainly mid-distance runs of 7 - 13 miles. I have run faster and I have run slower, but I have not done any speed work in these shoes. The feel on all surfaces (asphalt, concrete, dirt trail) remains great. The feel while running for the first time has carried over to future runs. 

In that time I have had no problems and the shoes have worn less than I had expected. From a durability standpoint, anything less than 400 mile from a pair of shoes is unacceptable, but won't be surprised if I can easily squeeze out an additional 50 to 100 miles out of this pair.

Overall Assessment - At $150 the Cloudrider is not a cheap shoe, although not the priciest either. I have enjoyed my experience in these shoes and will continue to keep them in the mix. While I have not run more than 14 miles at a time in these shoes, I will be in the future.

A neutral shoe, the On Cloudrunner does offer a bit of stability. This is perfect for my feet, but is something to be aware of if you are going to give them a try. For a heavy pronator these shoes probably won't work. The fit is a little different as the toe-box gives plenty of room and the width is fairly standard. I ordered an 11 - same as I do in most brands - but my next pair will be a 1/2 size smaller.


Train smart. Stay focused.
Jon