On Cloud Shoes Guide: Every Model and Which to Buy

Flip any pair of On Cloud shoes over and you’ll see it straight away: rows of hollow rubber tubes run along the sole, and they look nothing like the flat foam on most trainers. Those tubes are the whole story of the brand, and they’re also why so many people get confused when they start shopping, because there are now more than 30 On models and many of them look almost identical from the side. So this guide is for you if you’ve typed “which On Cloud shoe should I buy” into Google and come away more lost than before. Maybe you want something for your morning parkrun. Maybe you’re a nurse on 12-hour shifts, or you just want a clean white trainer that goes with jeans. Either way, the right pick depends on how you’ll use it, not on which colourway looks best on Instagram. We’ll start with where On came from and how CloudTec actually works, then walk through every model family, explain sizing, cover cleaning, and put On up against Hoka, Brooks and a few others. After that come the questions our customers ask most, plus an honest section on who shouldn’t buy On at all. Grab a coffee, because by the end you’ll know exactly which box to add to your basket.

Where On Running Shoes Came From

On started with a garden hose. Back in 2009, Swiss triathlete Olivier Bernhard (a three-time Ironman champion) was tired of trainers that felt either too soft or too harsh, so he cut up sections of hose and glued them to the bottom of an old running shoe. It sounds silly. But the prototype worked, because the hose pieces squashed down on landing and then stiffened for push-off. Bernhard teamed up with two friends, David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti, and they launched On in Zurich in 2010, winning an ISPO award that same year. From there, growth was fast: On Holding AG listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021 under the ticker ONON, and tennis legend Roger Federer came on board as both an investor and a co-designer. That Swiss base still matters today, since design, testing and material research all happen in Zurich while partner factories, mostly in Vietnam, build the shoes. Here’s the part most buyers don’t know, though. The hose idea became a patented system called CloudTec, where each hollow “cloud” pod compresses on its own when your foot lands and then locks together with its neighbours into a firm base. Many models add a Speedboard, a thin plate that bends and snaps back to push you forward, and newer shoes use Helion superfoam, which keeps its bounce across hundreds of miles. In practice, that gives On its signature feel of a soft landing and a snappy take-off, which some people love instantly and others need a week to get used to.

Types of On Cloud Shoes and What Each One Does

On sorts its range into a few clear families, and once you know them the shelf stops looking like a wall of identical trainers. For everyday wear, the Cloud 6 is the one you see everywhere, from airports to school runs; it weighs roughly 267g in a men’s size and comes with elastic speed laces, while the Cloud 5 is its slightly older, slimmer sibling and the Cloudnova and Cloudnova Form look more like a fashion sneaker than a runner. For the gym, the Cloud X line (now on its fourth version) has a wider, flatter base for lunges and HIIT circuits, and the Cloudpulse goes further with a firmer platform built mainly for gym floors. Road running is where On gets serious. The Cloudsurfer 2 is a balanced daily trainer for easy and steady miles, the Cloudrunner 3 adds gentle stability for runners who roll inward, the Cloudmonster 3 (and its bouncier Hyper version) is the max-cushion pick for long runs, and the Cloudboom Strike uses a carbon fibre Speedboard for race day. On the trail, the Cloudultra, Cloudvista and Cloudsurfer Trail add grippy Missiongrip rubber for mud and rock, while the Waterproof and Cloudhorizon models keep you dry in wet weather. Finally, The Roger line, co-designed with Federer, covers the tennis court, and On also makes spikeless golf shoes. You can browse the everyday models in our On Cloud lifestyle shoes collection, or compare the performance models side by side in our On Cloud running shoes range.

How to Choose the Right On Cloud Trainers: Fit, Sizing and Materials

Start with one question: what will you do most in these shoes? Be honest here, because plenty of customers buy a Cloud 6 for marathon training and then wonder why their legs ache at mile 15, while others buy a Cloudmonster for the office and find it too tall and chunky with trousers. Here’s a quick rule of thumb from what we see every week. For walking, standing and travel, pick the Cloud 6 or Cloudnova; for easy running up to 10K, the Cloudsurfer 2 does the job; for half or full marathon training, go for the Cloudmonster 3 or Cloudmonster 3 Hyper; flat feet or overpronation point to the Cloudrunner 3; and gym classes suit the Cloud X 4. Most On models run true to size, so order your usual UK size first. The catch is width. On’s classic lifestyle shoes, especially the Cloud 5, feel snug through the midfoot, so if you have wide feet you should go up half a size or choose a roomier model like the Cloudsurfer Max, and it’s worth knowing that the Cloudultra trail line is the narrowest of all. One trick we always share is to measure your feet in the afternoon, since feet swell during the day and a pair that fits perfectly at 9am can pinch by 6pm. For running, leave about a thumb’s width between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. As for materials, uppers are mostly engineered mesh with plenty of recycled polyester, and some models use Cyclon, On’s recyclable line made partly from castor beans that you can send back at the end of its life.

All White Shoes On Cloud 5

£198.00 Original price was: £198.00.£129.00Current price is: £129.00.

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On Cloud 5 Shoes: All White Clean Everyday Style The On Cloud 5 Shoes in All White bring pure, clean style to a slip-on friendly everyday sneaker. First, the crisp white upper looks sharp and fresh, so the pair blends with almost any outfit. Because of this, the shoe works for gym days, brunch, travel,…

Where On Cloud Shoes Fit Into Your Day

Honestly, the biggest group of On buyers isn’t runners at all. It’s people who spend all day on their feet: nurses, teachers, retail staff and tourists walking 20,000 steps around a city make up a huge share of our orders, and the Cloud 6 suits them because it’s light, it breathes, and the speed laces let you kick it off after a shift. Styling is easy too, since white or all-black On Cloud shoes sit well with straight-leg jeans, chinos and even smart-casual work trousers, while the Cloudnova Form looks sharper with wide-leg trousers and cargo pants. Our personal favourite for travel? An all-black Cloud 6, because it hides airport grime, fits under a suit trouser at a push, and packs flat in a carry-on. For runners, the use case splits by distance, so a Cloudsurfer handles your weekday 5K and Saturday parkrun, a Cloudmonster carries you through a London Marathon training block, and the Cloudboom Strike is built for that one big day when you’re chasing a personal best. The one place On struggles is the weights room. Heavy squats and deadlifts need a flat, firm sole, and the CloudTec pods compress under load, so the Cloud X is fine for circuits and classes but serious barbell work calls for a proper lifting shoe.

Caring for Your On Cloud Shoes

A clean pair lasts longer, and cleaning On shoes is simple as long as you avoid one big mistake: never put them in the washing machine, because the spin and heat can warp the pods, weaken the glue and break down the foam. Hand washing works best. Take out the laces and insoles first, mix lukewarm water with a little mild soap, and scrub gently with a soft brush, using an old toothbrush for the gaps between the cloud pods where grit likes to hide. Rinse with a damp cloth rather than holding the shoes under the tap, then stuff them with newspaper and let them dry at room temperature, well away from radiators, tumble dryers and direct sun. Here’s something we notice on returns all the time. White pairs that were dried on a radiator come back with a faint yellow tinge on the sole, and it rarely washes out completely, although a paste of baking soda and water helps with lighter marks. It’s also worth checking the pods after trail walks, since a small stone stuck in a tube will click on hard floors and, over time, can tear the rubber.

On Cloud Shoes vs Hoka, Brooks, Nike and ASICS

On isn’t the only brand chasing comfort, so how does it stack up? The comparison we get asked about most is On vs Hoka. Hoka shoes like the Clifton and Bondi feel softer underfoot, with a rocker shape that rolls you forward, while On feels firmer and snappier with more pop at toe-off, which means Hoka usually wins for pure plushness on long walks and On wins for a lighter, more responsive ride and a cleaner look. We’d pick On every time, and most of our team wears it off-duty for exactly that reason. Brooks is famous for dependable running shoes like the neutral Ghost and the Adrenaline GTS stability shoe, so if you’ve worn Brooks for years, the Cloudrunner 3 is the closest On match. The Nike Pegasus is the classic all-rounder and often cheaper, with a more traditional feel, whereas the ASICS Gel-Nimbus is soft and roomy and competes most directly with the Cloudmonster on long runs. Price is where On sits at the top end. In the UK, a Cloud 6 usually retails at around £140, a Cloudsurfer 2 near £150 and a Cloudmonster 3 around £180, with race shoes climbing well past £200, and you can check current retail prices on the official On website. Hoka and Brooks land in a similar range, while Nike and ASICS tend to have more frequent discounts.

Common Questions About On Cloud Shoes

Are On Cloud shoes good for running? Yes, but only the right models, because the Cloudsurfer, Cloudrunner, Cloudmonster and Cloudboom families are proper running shoes while the Cloud 6 and Cloudnova are better for walking, and that split causes most of the bad reviews you’ll read online. Do On Clouds run true to size? Mostly, so order your normal UK size, go up half a size in the Cloud 5, Cloud 6 and Cloudultra if your feet are wide, and consider dropping half a size in the Cloudmonster 3, which can run a touch long. Are On Cloud shoes good for flat feet? They can be, since the Cloudrunner 3 has a wide base and gentle guidance that suits flat feet and overpronation, but if you have plantar fasciitis or ongoing foot pain, see a podiatrist before choosing any shoe. Why do small stones get stuck in the soles? That’s the hollow CloudTec design at work, as gravel slips into the open pods on paths and car parks; newer trail models close up the gaps, and a quick flick with a key removes stones from road models. How long do On Cloud shoes last? Running models usually last 300 to 500 miles depending on your weight and surfaces, while everyday models worn for walking often last a year or more of daily use.

Who Shouldn’t Buy On Cloud Shoes

On isn’t perfect, and we’d rather tell you now than deal with a return later. If you have very wide feet, the classic Cloud 5 will probably feel tight however you size it, so look at the Cloudsurfer Max or another brand altogether. Serious weightlifters should skip On for the gym too, because the soft pods wobble under heavy loads. Gravel lovers may get annoyed as well, since road models do pick up stones more often than the adverts suggest. Then there’s price: if you only want a comfy trainer for the odd walk to the shops, a £140 pair is hard to justify when cheaper options from Skechers or New Balance will do the job. And if you crave a deep, sink-in softness, On might feel too firm at first, which some people adjust to within a week and others never do.

Picking Your Pair

On Cloud shoes aren’t one shoe but a family, and the trick is matching the model to your day. Walkers and travellers should start with the Cloud 6, casual runners will be happy in the Cloudsurfer 2, distance runners should go straight to the Cloudmonster, flat feet suit the Cloudrunner, and gym classes call for the Cloud X. Size normally, go up half a size if your feet are wide, and always wash them by hand. Ready to look? Start at our On Cloud shoes UK store, or jump straight into the max-cushion On Cloudmonster collection if long miles are your thing, and read our deep-dive on the best On running shoes next.