ON ON Cloudboom Strike Introduction
On has the reputation of being the world’s fastest growing shoe brand. It has grown between 70 and 80 percent every year for the last 7 consecutive years. Last year, On reached almost $2 billion in sales and by 2026, they aim to double sales to $4 billion.
One of the reasons why On is so successful is because they aren’t afraid to innovate. When their main cushioning system, CloudTec started to mature, they created CloudTec Phase- a softer, smoother experience. When runners complained of the stiff, hard Speedboard in all their shoes, they removed it and replaced it with an outsole shank in some of their new trainers. They listen to their customers.
They were one of the first brands to use silicone in their shoe laces (to prevent them from coming untied) and in the Cloudboom Echo 3, they glue strips to the insole to stop your feet from sliding around.
On is the only brand to have a laceless, 30 gram racing upper in Lightspray and they partner with designer brands like Loewe to appeal to a different market segment. Their marketing is also excellent, signing celebrities like Zendaya to appeal to younger consumers.
The first time I saw the Cloudboom Strike was a year ago, in a Sweat Elite training video. Tadesse Abraham, the Swiss national record holder for the marathon was about to use it for the Berlin 2023 marathon. He explained that the shoe felt completely different to the Cloudboom Echo 3: softer and having more energy return. In that race, he finished 11th and achieved a time of 2:05:10, a PB for him and also a new national record.
The Cloudboom Strike is On’s latest long-distance racer. It doesn’t replace the Cloudboom Echo but it’s a brand new series.
It weighs 219 grams (7.7 oz) which is only 4 grams (0.1 oz) heavier than the Cloudboom Echo 3 but it has 2.5 mm more stack height in the heel and 7.5 mm more in the forefoot.
It costs $20 more than the Cloudboom Echo 3 and despite its steep $280 price tag, it’s currently one of the most difficult super shoes to purchase due to a shortage of stock.
ON ON Cloudboom Strike First Impressions
The first time I wore the shoe, I had some issues with the lacing. The laces were just way too long and they were touching the floor, even though I was using a runner’s knot. I had to quadruple-knot the laces just so that they weren’t dragging on the floor.
My first run was a track workout consisting of 400 m intervals. The track was wet because it was raining lightly. The most noticeable thing was the squeaky sound coming from the midsole. Some moisture had gotten between the insole and the carbon plate and the shoe squeaked every time I struck the ground.
The ride felt very cushioned and very forgiving, unlike the Cloudboom Echo 3. The carbon plate was super stiff but I didn’t notice a very prominent forefoot rocker. The ride felt flat during toe-offs because it doesn’t have a high toe-spring.
ON ON Cloudboom Strike Upper
The Cloudboom Strike has a hard, plastic-like upper that doesn’t conform to your feet and it bears a resemblance to the Vaporweave upper of the Vaporfly Next%. Breathability is a bit lower than average, especially when compared to open-knit uppers like the Hyperion Elite 4 and Alphafly 3.
The laces on the Cloudboom Strike are the longest I’ve ever received on a pair of running shoes. My feet are narrow so I have to cinch the laces extra tight- this causes excess lacing when tying it up. I tripped on the laces and fell during a track session because of their ridiculous length.
I find the upper a fit a bit sloppy due to the extra lacing and excess material but foot lockdown is surprisingly good. There are some cushioned pods on the inside of the heel counter to keep your heel locked in but the heel tab/collar is not padded and might cause some runners friction issues.
The upper runs longer than normal and there’s more than a thumb-width in front of my big toes so I recommend going down a half size from your usual size. At true to size, it’s a high volume upper that works best for me with thick socks.
ON ON Cloudboom Strike Sole Unit
The Cloudboom Strike has a ride unlike any other long-distance racer. This is thanks to its thick, removable insole which forms the top layer of midsole. The benefit of this setup is that your feet sit directly on the midsole foam and it feels like you’re more connected to the shoe; there is no strobel lining. The ride is unique and it feels more engaging than most super shoes.
The insole is much thicker at the forefoot, which results in a softer forefoot than rearfoot so the Cloudboom Strike suits forefoot strikers better than heel strikers (similar to the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris). As a heel striker, I try to force a forefoot strike because I can feel more bounce and energy return in the forefoot.
The Cloudboom Strike’s insole and midsole are Helion HF, a PEBA based foam that feels like a softer version of Lightstrike Pro. It feels like On tweaked it to be softer than the Helion HF that’s in the Cloudboom Echo 3. I also notice much higher energy return in the Cloudboom Strike than in any of On’s other shoes which have Helion HF.
It works best at very fast efforts such as short intervals, 200 m to 1 km in length. It also feels good during threshold workouts. At slower paces, I’m striking further back in the shoe and not benefiting from the lively forefoot. This is why I don’t think I’d race a marathon in it. It doesn’t feel as efficient at slower paces (around marathon pace) when I’m heel striking.
The carbon plate is stiff and there isn’t much of a forefoot rocker so this requires you to have strong calf muscles and Achilles in order to work through transitions. I find that after really tough workouts in the Cloudboom Strike, my lower legs are stiffer than usual.
When it comes to speed assistance, the Cloudboom Strike doesn’t provide as much as the current top-tier racers on the market. This is mostly because of its inability to speed up transitions through a forefoot rocker. It only has a 4 mm drop so for heel strikers, heel-to-toe transitions are not as fast as higher drop super shoes.
The outsole consists of 4 large pieces of rubber that protect the high wear areas. After 80 kilometres, the rubber on the outer heel sections are smooth but there isn’t too much damage on the actual midsole foam. Outsole durability is average for a racer but I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing too many training runs in it- the midsole is very soft and not very resistant to scuffs/scrapes.
The outsole rubber is flat so grip is not great on wet roads. I wore it multiple times in the rain and whenever I wanted to pick up the pace, I could feel the outsole slipping against the moist tar.
ON ON Cloudboom Strike Conclusions
The Cloudboom Strike is significantly better than On’s other marathon racer, the Cloudboom Echo 3: it has deeper cushioning, more energy return and better outsole durability. It also feels more like a long-distance super shoe than a racing flat, which is how the Cloudboom Echo 3 feels.
I have to applaud On for trying something new. Thick insoles which double up as the midsole are not new but having this setup in a long-distance racer is new. None of the other big brands are doing this. The Cloudboom Strike feels exciting and is a joy to run in.
It still doesn’t provide as much speed assistance or feel as fast as the top-tier racers. This is mainly due to the absence of a forefoot rocker to speed up and assist transitions. I would use the Cloudboom Strike to race a 5K, 10K or half marathon but it doesn’t feel efficient enough for a marathon.
The Cloudboom Strike suits midfoot and forefoot strikers more than heel strikers (like myself) because of the way the insole is designed, with the thickest part being in the forefoot. Powerful forefoot strikers who like the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris but want softer cushioning will enjoy the Cloudboom Strike.
At $280, it costs $30 more than the average super shoe but its performance doesn’t warrant the premium price (like most On shoes). It is however $10 cheaper than the Cloudboom Echo 3 when it first came out.
