On Cloudmonster: Tried & tested

Type: Road / Neutral

Weight: 275g (M), 230g (W)

Drop: 6mm

Shop – man ‘s

Shop – woman ‘s

The shoe

The aptly named is marks On Cloudmonster mark the swiss brand ’s entry into the maximalist shoe category and this behemoth is design to offer big cushioning on long or easy run .

For those who love the firm and grounded feel of On shoes (courtesy of its Helium foam), this will be a bit of a departure from the norm, but if you’ve always liked the aesthetic of the brand, but not the ride, these are well worth considering.

The shoe features the largest CloudTec elements (the hollow pods in the midsole) of any On shoe – so big, in fact, that you can stick your fingertip in them. Concerns about objects becoming stuck in the pods have always been raised with On shoes, but these were no different to the others we’ve tested – nothing went in the holes.

Above the large pods sits the Speedboard – a plastic plate that acts as a stabilising element to the larger midsole and also helps produce a solid platform for push-off, giving the shoe a reassuring sense of propulsion. This was most noticeable at slower speeds, or when heel or midfoot striking as they felt generally cushioned, but they feel firmer when you’re running on your forefeet or upping the tempo.

What is the On Cloudmonster like to run in?

When it came to how the shoe felt to run in, the degree of cushioning was as expected; there wasn’t the squidge of shoes in a similar silhouette like the Hoka Bondi X and Nike React Infiniti 2, but they also weren’t as firm as something like the Adidas Adistar.

This worked out to be a happy medium on those longer runs where a balance of cushioning and responsiveness is required. The midsole still uses On’s Helium foam, so there is a sense of the familiar On firmness, but it’s been watered down by the volume of the foam used, and that’s not a bad thing.

Despite its name, the Cloudmonster comes in lighter (275g for men, 230g for women) than the other maximal shoes mentioned above. So if shoe weight is a big deal for you, as it often is for smaller runners, the Cloudmonster is a strong option.