On Cloudsurfer Max Review: Big Guy Approved

Introduction to the On Cloudsurfer Max

CHAD: I’m an elder millennial. When I hear the word “max,” several things come to mind. “The Max,” the hip hangout for the Bayside gang on Saved by the Bell. Goofy’s son, Max, who did an impressive Powerline cosplay in “A Goofy Movie.” And finally, the scraggly dog in the live-action “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” starring Jim Carey. And how often do those images come to my head as a shoe reviewer for Believe in the Run? All. The. Time.

The whole concept of having a shoe in your lineup labeled as a “max” version has officially jumped the shark because seemingly every brand, save a few, has drunk the Kool-Aid. On has officially entered those ranks after attempting to simplify its lineup by naming this shoe the Cloudsurfer Max, eschewing the name Cloudeclipse from the last version.

Many things remain the same, such as the stack height (37 mm / 31 mm, 6 mm drop) and the general geometry and shaping of the midsole cavities that On calls Phasetec. Some things have changed. How do those changes stack up? Do they… max-stack up? Let’s find out.

JON: Switzerland has been influencing us for a long time. From its chocolate, all-purpose utility knives, or spicy riffs from metal bands like Celtic Frost, just to name a few — the small but mighty powerhouse in the Alps’ impact comes from all angles, whether we like it or not. In the running sphere, On is no different.

On has been… on my radar for quite some time, yet I’ve never had a chance to try anything from them until now. You already know what kind of shoe this is from the name alone… but it is On’s max cushion trainer, formerly the Cloudeclipse. I’ve seen other brands simplify their lineup naming conventions, so this feels natural and helps distinguish its purpose.

What we like about the On Cloudsurfer Max

CHAD: I will die on this hill, but I think On has some of the best uppers in the running shoe world. Some people find them a bit big, baggy, or otherwise high-volume. However, I feel like the Cloudsurfer Max continues the trend, and this upper is even better than the one found on the Cloudeclipse. It is very breathable, which I have thoroughly appreciated as every run I’ve done in it outside has been on a hot and humid summer morning. I feel like On dialed back the volume slightly, as I didn’t have to cinch the laces as tightly as I did in the Cloudeclipse.

In addition to the upper changes that improved the shoe, removing the external speedboard was a much-needed change. That exposed piece of plastic on the Cloudeclipse was noisy as hell, causing a squeaking noise and a crunching/scraping every time I hit a loose piece of gravel. The midsole has been reshaped and redesigned to remove the one on the Cloudsurfer Max, which is noticeable.

On claims that the midsole foam on the Cloudsurfer Max is softer than the last iteration, and I believe it. Between removing the speedboard and the softer foam, the ride feels closer to a max cushion shoe that you would expect… more on that later.

I also really love the look of the colorway that I received. It’s the inverse of the Cloudeclipse I received, which was a creamsicle orange with white/silver accents.

JON: There’s a lot to like here. The mesh upper breathed well and didn’t overheat even on the hottest day. The gusseted tongue and lacing hugged my foot without rubbing or hot spots. Between this and the heel collar’s extra padding, I had a great locked-down fit.

Speaking of fit, I was sent a US M12.5 instead of my usual M13, but it still fit like a glove. I had no issues with it being too narrow, but the smaller size reduced the amount of wiggle room I had in the toe box. Having said that, I wouldn’t size down in the future, but rather stick true to size.

The ride was quite pleasant. The Cloudtec Phase system worked well for me, giving great shock absorption and good energy return on toe-off. My biggest fear of the hollowed-out sections collecting debris was instantly debunked. It really shone on days when I needed to dial into a comfortable pace and lose track of what was around me.

The Helion midsole was slightly firmer, but gave enough cushion to still have a smooth ride. I found myself landing and lifting off mostly on my midfoot. The 6 mm drop helped propel me forward, but not so much that it would overwork my calves. I’ve always found the 6 to 8 mm drops to be a sweet spot in this area.

Lastly, the outsole was resilient and provided great traction. I took this shoe out several times in the rain, and it performed great. I found minimal wear after over 50 miles.

What we don’t like about the On Cloudsurfer Max

CHAD: I cannot stand the lacing that On uses on the Cloudsurfer Max. Rather than eyelets, it uses fabric loops that make it nearly impossible to dial in the proper tightness of the laces. As soon as you think you get them the perfect tightness over the top of the midfoot, they loosen up as you tie the shoe because the loops don’t maintain any purchase on the slick laces. This caused me to re-tie on the run because I tied them too tight, which irritated the top of my foot, despite a nice gusseted and plush tongue.

This shoe still does not have that “max stack” feel to me. Does it feel like it’s 37 mm in the heel? Yes, absolutely; I feel the height. But with all that foam and the CloudTec midsole, I expected a bit more. It has the height, just not the squish.

JON: I really didn’t have too many issues. Going fast made me work harder than I needed to, so I wouldn’t say this is a do-it-all Swiss Army Knife shoe. It lacked pep, and it was definitely not a tempo shoe for me. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though.

The lacing system didn’t give me issues like it did with Chad. I was able to get a good, locked-in fit pretty much right away. If I had to nitpick something, it probably would be the laces being comically long. I had to constantly tuck them in so I wouldn’t trip.

I felt like On did a good job of doing more with less, but the name Max implies that this is going to have a much higher stack. If you are expecting something like the Superblast or Prime X, you’ll probably be let down.

Final thoughts on the On Cloudsurfer Max

CHAD: I do believe that the Cloudsurfer Max is an improvement over the Cloudeclipse from 2023. The upper feels nicer and more dialed in; they removed the loud and unnecessary speedboard, and the ride stayed nice and smooth. Plus, it all comes in a nice-looking package and maintains the same $180 price tag. Given that the Cloudsurfer 2 was a bit of a flop (6 out of 15 pigeons… yikes!), I believe the Cloudsurfer Max is a bit of redemption.

JON: I was pretty impressed with my first experience with On. I think they did a great job offering a good-looking shoe with a pleasant ride that will last quite some time. Slapping the Max label onto it might make the super trainer stans roll their eyes, but that’s ok. I can see this being overhauled in the next iteration and more stack getting thrown on. Brooks did something similar with the Hyperion Max 2 and 3 (we had a good thing!). I’m hopeful that this doesn’t happen. There’s a Max reference here somewhere, but I’m tapped out of them.

You can pick up the On Cloudsurfer Max for $180 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.