On Cloudboom Strike Review: While the Iron is Hot

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the On Cloudboom Strike

THOMAS: When it comes to On, our relationship has been a true on-and-off-again saga. While their running shoes have improved, our expectations have grown from initial surprise that they have a viable running shoe to the expectation that their progress will continue linearly. However, instead of up and to the right, there’s been a few hiccups along the way.

One example is the Cloudmonster 2, a shoe we felt took a step backward from its predecessor. Sizing has also been tricky. I’ve gone a half size down in all their shoes and it works for me. However, Meg received the Cloudboom Strike in a US women’s 7.5/men’s 6, and it was so big that Robbe could wear it on his US men’s size 7.5 foot. Their lineup needs to be less confusing, with multiple shoes in the same category (i.e. Cloudboom Echo 3 vs. the Cloudboom Strike). That said, there have been some fairly solid shoes along the way as well. The Cloudeclipse is a nice and cushioned daily trainer, while the Cloudboom Echo 3 is a very fast and very fun shoe for distances under a half marathon.

So yeah, there’s been some ups and downs. Which brings us to the Cloudboom Strike.

The Cloudboom Strike has a technical mesh upper that uses felt-like underlays to create the shoe’s architecture and support. While unstructured heel counters can be a gamble, the shoe mitigates the risk with two pads inside the collar, made from a cat tongue unidirectional fabric to provide lockdown. 

It’s a very light shoe as well, with my US M10 weighing 7.8 oz (221 grams). A thin upper with a minimal tongue provides breathability with just the right amount of structure.

The midsole is incredibly unique– instead of gluing together two slabs of foam with a plate in the middle, On employs a drop-in midsole, a thick layer of Helion HF foam that literally sits on top of the carbon plate that’s embedded into the bottom layer of Helion HF. You can pull it out and put it back in whenever you’d like. Four thin strips of tacky rubber finish off the race shoe’s outsole. 

The Cloudboom Strike is the superior race day option and is my favorite shoe from On yet. But let’s see why.

What we like about the On Cloudboom Strike

THOMAS: One of the most challenging traits to describe in a running shoe is the fun factor. The On Cloudboom Strike has it. The Strike feels light on the foot and has plenty of cushion. The cushioning is precisely where I like it, with plenty under the forefoot. The Helion HF yields to pressure and rebounds back as well as any Pebax midsole. Turnover is easy and smooth with the nearly 40 mm stack height.

The upper fits well once you figure out your size. I tested these in hot, humid weather, and the hydrophobic mesh stayed light, expelling moisture. Picking up the pace in the Strike was easy. Just lean forward and let ‘er rip. The rubber on the outsole has got some bite. Any race-day shoe under eight ounces is already ahead of the game. These feel light and still pack a punch with lots of foam.

The minimal tongue is also better than many of the competitors. Thank you to On for simplifying the lacing. Getting the proper tension in the shoe is easy, and keeping them tied is no problem with the rubber nibs on one side of the laces. There are two layers of Helion HF foam with a carbon plate sandwiched in. The Helion HF foam is very similar to Adidas Lightstrike Pro. The way the midsole is put together is unique. The top layer sits inside the shoe like an insole on crack. It is substantial. When you remove it from the shoe, the carbon plate is visible.

What we don’t like about the On Cloudboom Strike

THOMAS: I mentioned the sizing issues, but seriously, Robbe’s pair came in too long by at least a full size, and Meghan’s were so big Robbe could squeeze into them for a trial run. Other than that, the shoe slaps. Unfortunately we were only able to get those two sample pairs in for review, and while Robbe actually did do a Yasso 800 workout in the shoe and enjoyed it a lot, he had to give it a rest because the heel collar is super stiff and ended up digging into his Achilles, which was still not runnable two days later. So make sure you wear crew or calf socks with these.

Final thoughts on the On Cloudboom Strike

THOMAS: On put this one together well. It is their best race-day shoe and likely their best running shoe ever. It fits right in with our top race-day picks. I would recommend comparing it to the Asics Metaspeed Edge/Sky Paris and the Vaporfly 3. I just checked, and you can pick up a Nike Vaporfly 3 for around $180. That is $100 less than the $280 price tag on the Cloudboom Strike and you’re getting a very similar return on performance. Flex as you see fit.

You can pick up the On Cloudboom Strike for $280 by using the buttons below.