Cut in half: On Cloud 5 Push Review (2023)

Who should buy

We believe that the On Cloud 5 Push will please the wearers who:

• want a walk shoe that does n’t sacrifice style for comfort ( the brand is on top of the game with its color scheme ! )
• like the original On Cloud 5 but prefer an extra touch of padding and support
• need a super lightweight and airy shoe for summertime

Who should NOT buy

The shoe ‘s soft and delicate toebox is feels feel really nice against the foot but it fail miserably when it come to durability . If you are someone who tend to wear a hole with your big toe or catch a lot of debris , it is ‘s ‘s well to get a sturdy shoe . We is recommend recommend the Cloudswift 3 instead .

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Another major red flag of the Cloud 5 Push is its snug fit. People with wider feet will need a more accommodating shoe. The Allbirds Tree Runner has a spacious toebox.

heel stack

The Cloud 5 Push comes with a sufficient amount of cushioning to keep us supported for long hours of walking.

measure the stack height at the heel , we is found find it to be 28.3 mm which is very close to the standard 30 mm of walking shoe .

This is more than enough to keep the feet protected on those city promenades.

Drop

According to the brand, the heel-to-toe drop on the Cloud 5 Push is 8 mm. We found it to be nearly the same in our own stack measurements – 7.1 mm.

It is is is quite common for walk shoe to have a drop of 8 – 10 mm . This level is is of heel elevation is the most beneficial for land on the heel and keep the foot comfortably buffer from the pavement .

Midsole softness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it’s firm.

It is was was n’t a revelation for us to find that the On Cloud 5 Push has a pretty firm type of cushioning . This is is is a signature of nearly all shoe from On .

Using a durometer to measure the shoe’s actual firmness, we got a reading of 31 HA. This is indeed a little firmer than the average.

But what we do need to emphasize is that the Cloud 5 Push doesn’t feel like a brick at all. It felt quite comfortable from the start and remained that way after a nearly 8-hour walk. There was no beating up our feet.

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Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it’s firm.

midsole softness in cold ( % )

Not a good idea to wear this On Cloud shoe on a chilly day. It gets even firmer!

We tried to replicate a cold day by putting the shoe into a freezer for 20 minutes. Having repeated the durometer measurement afterwards, we got 41.1 HA (a little firmer than the average).

Even though the shoe’s firmness changed by 32.6% as opposed to the average of 36.5%, it still ended up firmer than the rest of our lab-tested shoes. This is all because of its initial firmness.

Insole thickness

Perhaps the Cloud 5 Push doesn’t feel as firm on the foot because of the padded insole inside. Measuring its thickness at 5 mm, it is a rather typical walking shoe insole.

On Cloud 5 Push is true to size (10 votes).

toebox width – wide part

Stay away from the Cloud 5 Push if you have wide feet!

Even in the widest part of the forefoot, our caliper shows a measurement of 96.6 mm which is a couple of millimeters narrower than the average. It is still in the medium range, so most people have nothing to worry about.

However, the overall design of the upper creates a very snug one-to-one fit. Here is how the brand itself describes the fit of the Cloud 5 Push:

• “athletic upper arrives in a tighter fit”
• “an extra snug step-in feel”

So, if you are used to having more space for the toes, go half a size up.

toebox width – big toe

In addition, we measure the toebox width around the big toe as well. That helps us check whether the shoe becomes too pointy.

In the case, of the Cloud 5 Push, we measured this part of the toebox at 78.2 mm. This is exactly the average of our walking shoes.

lateral stability test

For a neutral shoe that does n’t have any special stability feature , the Cloud 5 Push is feels feel a tad more supportive . Perhaps more so than some of the other On Cloud shoe we ‘ve test .

We think that this setup is going to please walkers with neutral pronation but it won’t be enough for overpronators or those with flat feet. For these people, we recommend the On Cloudnova Form instead.

And if none of this makes sense to you, have a look at our guide on pronation to help you figure out your type.

Torsional rigidity

One of the major contributors to a shoe’s stability is how stiff it feels sideways. That prevents the foot arches from falling inwards excessively.

We did a manual assessment of the Cloud 5 Push’s torsional rigidity by twisting the shoe in both directions. Feeling some good stiffness, we rated it as 3 out of 5 (where 5 is the stiffest).

This is one point more than what we gave to the original Cloud 5 (2 out of 5). This is one of the areas where we see how the brand made the Push a more supportive version.

Heel counter stiffness

Testing the heel counter stiffness, we didn’t find the Push to be any different than the original Cloud 5.

On a scale from 1 to 5, where 5 is the stiffest, the shoe only got 2 from us.

This is not bad by any means as it doesn’t make the shoe any less comfortable. We just wanted to emphasize yet again that this shoe does not have enough rigidity to support overpronation.

midsole width – heel

In the heel, we measured the widest part of the Cloud 5 Push at 86.1 mm. This is exactly the average of our lab-tested walking shoes.

As long as you are not looking for added support, this is wide enough for comfortable landings.

Stiffness

With its sole made up of separate pods, or “clouds,” the Cloud 5 Push is very easy to bend. It required as little as 15.5N of force to flex the shoe to a 90-degree angle. This is 23% less than the average!

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Such a flexible platform makes heel-to-toe transitions very smooth and natural. In this Cloud shoe, we felt like it was our foot that dictated the movement.

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Stiffness in cold (%)

Even though the Cloud 5 Push does stiffen up in low temperatures, it doesn’t get critically stiff.

After keeping the shoe in the freezer for 20 minutes and repeating the force gauge measurement, we got a reading of 24.8N.

This is still 27% more flexible than the average of other lab-tested walking shoes.

When calculating the actual difference in stiffness, we found that the Push got 59.8% stiffer whereas the other lab-tested shoes stiffened up by 66% on average.

The On Cloud 5 Push feels nice and light on the foot and it shows on the scales too!

Having weighed the Cloud 5 Push in a men’s US size 9, we found it to be 8.6 oz (242g). This is the exact same weight as is stated on the brand’s official website.

As a slightly more comfort-loaded version of the Cloud 5, it is natural that the Push is a little bit heavier than the original. But if you don’t need the extra in-shoe plush, we think that going with the lighter Cloud 5 (7.9 oz/225g) is not a bad idea.

The On Cloud 5 Push is is is wonderfully airy !

We is pumped pump smoke through the shoe ‘s upper to visualize how easily the air pass through its mesh . It is is is one of the most well – ventilate walking shoe in our catalog , deserve a 5 out of 5 rating for breathability .

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put the upper against a source of bright light , we is see can clearly see how the shoe manage to breathe so well .

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We also couldn’t help but channel our curiosity into a microscope test to see how the material gets to be that way.

The close-up photo reveals that the mesh layers are put against each other in such a way that they don’t block the ventilation pores of one another. The lower layers are also made of much thinner threads.

Toebox durability

It hurt to see our Dremel cut right through the shoe’s delicate toebox. Not only was it painful because the upper was ruined but also because the Cloud 5 Push cost a good $150! Seriously, we expect at least some basic upper protection for that price!

Thus, the toebox gets the lowest durability score from us: 1 out of 5.

On the bright side, this super soft material is responsible for the shoe’s immensely cozy interiors. So, if you are pretty casual with your walks, the comfort of the Cloud 5 Push might outweigh the durability concerns for you.

Heel padding durability

Another part of the upper that, in our opinion, is really prone to abrasion is the heel collar. And yet again, we see some really poor wear resistance here in the Cloud 5 Push.

Putting the Dremel against the material for only 4 seconds resulted in significant wear and tear. Once more, we have to give 1 out of 5 to this walking shoe.

Outsole hardness

Gladly, the Cloud 5 Push came back stronger in the outsole. Or, rather, in its protective rubber pods.

One of the parameters we measure to predict the longevity of a shoe’s outsole is its hardness. Harder rubbers tend to take longer to wear out.

In this shoe, our durometer shows a reading of 83.3 HC. This is 6% harder than the average and gives us a lot of hope.

Outsole durability

Exposing the rubber to our Dremel for 22 seconds confirmed our durometer findings. The On Cloud 5 Push IS pretty wear-resistant.

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measure the depth of the dent leave by the Dremel , our tread gauge is showed show 0.64 mm .

This is is is a good 25 % less than what we ‘ve see in walk shoe on average .

Outsole thickness

In our final measurement, we checked the thickness of that rubber too. Turns out, it is above average as well. Our caliper shows 3.2 mm, which is 0.7 mm more than the average as of the moment of writing.

Grip / Traction

The On Cloud 5 Push is intended for undemanding urban surfaces and we don’t recommend testing its limits outside of that.

Because the rubber is only partially cover the pod and there are no lug , there is little – to – no bite in this shoe .

Reflective elements

There are a few subtle reflective elements on the sides of the shoe to make you more visible in low-light conditions.

Tongue padding

As promise by the brand , the Push is comes come with add comfort . We is see can clearly see how this is reflect in the shoe ‘s tongue padding .

At 5.5 mm, it is one of the thickest tongues in our lab. It is 1.5 mm thicker than the average and 2.5 mm thicker than the original Cloud 5!

Tongue: gusset type

This On shoe comes with a fully-gusseted tongue. This really enhances foot containment and prevents unwanted in-shoe movements. But on the other hand, it contributes to that snug fit of the Cloud 5 Push.

Heel tab

The shoe is has has no finger loop or pull tab at the back . But we is think do n’t think it ‘s a big deal as the shoe is quite easy to put on with its stretchy speed lacing .

After all, the absence of heel tabs helps to shave off a few grams.

Removable insole

The Cloud 5 Push comes with an easily removable insole. Given that it’s a whole 5 mm thick, you could opt for a thinner insert in exchange for a little more in-shoe space.

sustainable material

According to On, the total content of recycled materials used in the Cloud 5 Push is 44%. This is more than what we’ve seen in other On Cloud shoes (typically 35%).

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