SHOE REVIEW: On Cloudmonster

The Swiss running brand On has come out with one of their highest-cushioned models to date: meet the Cloudmonster. Although monsters are scary, the only thing you should be concerned about is how much you’ll love this shoe. Monster by name and monster by nature, this shoe is different than the firm, lightweight On models that may have scared you away in the past. The Cloudmonster is designed for those looking for a shoe to cover easy runs and long training miles.

Category: Neutral high-cushion
Available: March 31
Price: CAD 199.99
Weight: 274 g (M9), 229 g (W7)
Drop: 6 mm (30mm stack)

The upper

The upper is a similar story that we’ve seen from some of the best On shoes in the past. The lightweight upper is 80 per cent recycled polyester. The clincher is the mesh wrap tongue: it’s not only insanely light and fits comfortably around your metatarsals, but it also refuses to bunch up, no matter how tightly or loosely you lace it.

The outer-wrap tongue lacing system is similar to the one they used on the recent Cloudvista (a lightweight trail running shoe from On), allowing for a comfortable fit across the top of the foot.

While running in this shoe, I’ve twice been caught in a torrential downpour. The upper is super breathable and wicks away moisture as you run.

The midsole

The Cloudmonster’s midsole is a friendly one, as the shoe contains more CloudTech foam pods than ever. The high stack height of 30 mm provides superb cushioning for all types of terrain, but feels exceptional on hard surfaces. Also in the midsole is On’s traditional speedboard, which is a thin, snappy, thermoplastic layer designed to provide a faster toe-off.

The shoe features On’s most responsive Helion foam, which is designed to be lightweight and responsive underfoot. The combination of the Helion foam, the speedboard and the CloudTech foam pods result in a good amount of energy return, without feeling overly soft or plush.

If you want a well-cushioned ride from start to finish, the cushioning on this shoe is meant to keep your legs feeling fresh in the final kilometres of longer training runs.

The outsole

An issue I’ve had in the past with On shoes is that stones would easily get stuck between the CloudTech pods and speedboard. After 100 km of testing in the shoe, I haven’t had that issue with the Cloudmonster. I have used the shoes in both wet and dry conditions, and they’ve given me all the grip I need to tackle the roads.

The outsole is designed for hard road surfaces, more than trails or uneven paths. That being said, I had no problems with this shoe on any of the local gravel trails or wet and snowy surfaces during testing.

The verdict

Despite its unorthodox and futuristic look, I’m in love with this shoe. I’ve been telling my colleagues for months that I’ve been looking for a neutral high-cushioned and lightweight shoe to handle long and easy runs, and I’ve finally found it. Right now, I am all aboard the Cloudmonster train and ready for it to take me to the promised land of higher mileage.

The CloudTech pods kindly absorb each stride you take as a midfoot striker, and the response you get back is like no other similar model on the market. The Cloudmonster is a revolutionary shoe from a brand that has been known for creating firm and lightweight shoes for the past five years. This shoe is something new, and putting them on just makes you want to run.

This shoe is similar to those who have worn the Brooks Ghost, Nike Vomero or Saucony Ride, and can handle everything that you throw at it on the roads. In terms of durability, I’ve run 100 km in this pair and it still feels brand new. If you are looking for something new this spring, I would highly recommend giving the friendly On Cloudmonster a try.