These Cloudboom Strike 2 updates make On’s most aggressive racer its best yet

What You Need To Know

A brand-new Boom

We like to get excited over race-day shoes — we love it, in fact. They’re the perfect opportunities for brands to show off their very latest and greatest tech, combining foams, plates, and uppers in ways that would have broken runners from 50 years ago. And honestly, nobody is better at such ambition than On.

No, maybe the super-aggressive Cloudboom line hasn’t always agreed with our feet — though it’s always landed in a sweet spot for Meg — but it’s always been cool enough and clean enough to leave us drooling over that sweet, sweet Swiss engineering. Well, now On is back with a brand-new duo, and it’s tearing the envelope in half. Literally.

Alright, well, maybe not literally, but the Cloudboom Strike 2 and LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2 introduce layer upon layer of new tech for the brand, so let’s get into it, starting from the bottom and working our way up.

CloudTec, like you’ve never seen it before

By now, we’re all pretty much used to On’s CloudTec. It’s come in several forms, from the hexagonal cutouts on the original Cloudmonster to the angled ovals of the Cloudsurfer’s CloudTec Phase to the tiny slits by the heel of the first Cloudboom Strike. Now, though, On has adopted a brand-new cloud, called CloudTec Sphere.

What you need to know about CloudTec Sphere is this: It’s not a new technology (technically). It also has nothing to do with the giant Sphere in Las Vegas — you won’t find U2 or the Backstreet Boys hiding inside. Instead, it’s a completely revamped geometry that introduces precise channels for better impact absorption and rebound later in races. In practice, that manifests as two main channels in the midfoot and forefoot, essentially splitting the Helion HF midsole into three separate pieces.

Don’t think that’s On’s only change underfoot, either — both the Helion HF foam and carbon Speedboard have been refreshed, too. On boasts that its updated Helion compound is 15% lighter than in the previous generation of Cloudboom Strike, while the dual-density midsole ensures runners get both stability and pop even as miles rack up. That drop in weight translates to a total weight of just 191g (6.7 oz.) for the Cloudboom Strike 2 and 158g (5.5 oz.) for the LightSpray version, putting On’s racer comfortably below 200g.

Sandwiched between those soft, bouncy layers is a new, curved Speedboard that is both lighter and stiffer than before. That might translate to a slightly harsher ride, depending on what super shoes you’re used to, but should also keep up the springiness and rebound on race day.

To LightSpray, or not to LightSpray?

Although everything about the On Cloudboom Strike 2 and LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2 is identical underfoot, it’s now time to make a choice. Will you rock with the bold, 3D-printed LightSpray upper? Or will you stick with the traditional, laced design? If you ask us, well, it depends.

We might have struggled a bit with the original LightSpray Cloudboom Strike, but we felt like On really dialed in the fit for the LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper. We’re certainly going to try both uppers before we commit to one for the marathon, but it’s hard to argue with what On’s professional squad has been pulling out of its most ambitious design. Hellen Obiri chopped a minute and 48 seconds off her PR in London, Yeman Crippa broke the tape in Paris with a 48-second improvement, and Joe Klecker trimmed nearly five minutes off his personal best in Boston.

The base of the LightSpray design remains the same — it’s seamless and glueless, and can be sprayed together by a robot at a speed that would make Spider-Man jealous. So, all that’s left now is for us to lace — er, slip it on, and see if we’re ready to break some records of our own.

Oh, and if there’s one thing to make the new Cloudboom Strike 2 duo even sweeter, it’s getting cheaper. The traditional On Cloudboom Strike 2 will start at just $250 when it launches on July 30 (down from $280), and the LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2 will cost $310 (down from $330 for the current version). That’s not something we see very often these days, but we’re here for it.

You can learn more about On’s new Cloudstrike 2 series using the button below.