SCORE: 8/10                              (July 8, 2021)

Weight: 7.94 Oz, 225g (M) Size 9.5 

Heel Drop: 9MM

Shoe Type: Neutral racing (speed) shoe.

Terrain/Surface: Road. 

 Pros

• Looks unique with cool colors and smooth texture.
• Balanced cushioning.
• Lightweight
• Seamless roll throughout every stride.
• Highly breathable.
• It is versatile.
• Very comfortable
• Responsive at fast paces.
• Solid traction

 Cons

• Runs narrow, thus not suitable for a flat-footed runner.
• Does not fit true to size (Go for an extra half an inch) 

Take Away

ON Cloudboom has all the features of a traditional racing shoe; lightweight, low stack height, and superbly responsive. However, it means that Cloudboom is not comparable to the Vaporfly Next% in any way.

The Cloudboom has a full-length carbon fiber plate or speed board infused within the midsole like the modern racing shoe. It also comes with a simple and very breathable upper mesh—the design of this shoe suits the needs of any racer out there. Because of the Hellion foam, it guarantees a premium bouncy feel. However, it has moderate cushioning, just enough protection for up to a 10k marathon. 

Cloudboom is a racing shoe for a racer who wants low-stacked carbon-plated racing shoes. It suits not just midfoot strikers but neutral pronators with the correct running pattern. 

On Cloudboom Instant Impression

 After running in my Asics Metaracer for a couple of miles, I needed another shoe to complement it. That shoe had to be something close to my Metaracer. There were a couple of choices, like the Adidas Adizero Pro, but the Cloudboom somehow caught my attention. I had never tried an On Cloud shoe, and this was a perfect chance to do so.

There are many good things to say about the Cloudboom. It is incredibly lightweight, looks simple but unique with a premium appearance. Even with the extremely thin upper mesh, the shoe does not lose its structure.

When I first tried it on, my foot got greeted with the superbly soft cushioning of the Helion foam. I also felt the soft mesh material hugging my foot in a very snug fit. There was no extra space in the toe box to allow my toes to wiggle. However, it was not very restrictive.  

I took it out for a couple of miles, and I was pleased. The ride was pretty firm at a slow pace but got softer and fast when I picked up the pace. I felt like a professional athlete in a 100 meters competition.

My first impression is that On Cloudboom is typically a racing shoe. Doing slow runs with this shoe will disappoint you. The cushioning, especially at the forefoot, disappears at such a pace because the carbon plate is less triggered. It is the reason the foot feels tired at 10k.

It is an excellent racing shoe. The responsiveness of the midsole is unbelievable. I could not even compare it to the Metaracer because it just felt like the Cloudboom fits in its own category.

On Cloudboom Upper Component

The upper part of the shoe is made of a single thin mesh layer. The lateral side of the upper and toe box are highly perforated to enhance aeration in the heat zones. Though fragile, the strong material which holds the lacing box, collar, and heel counter helps support the largely perforated and riskily thin mesh. It also helps in enhancing a snug fit.

The upper comprises extremely light, breathable, and seamless material—the material hugs the foot to give a seamless snug fit. I did not feel any irritation or rubbing. Instead, I felt like I had nothing on top of the foot.

The Cloudboom is a race shoe. For this reason, I did not expect extensive supporting or stability features in the upper. I feel that the upper has a neutral design. It exhibits minimalistic attributes with all the standard features found in a speed shoe.

The Cloudboom does not fit true to size. Just like the Metaracer, the On Cloudboom runs pretty narrowly, particularly around the midfoot and toebox. To get the right fitting, I went for an extra half an inch. At last, the nine 91/2 I inch 

came right, the fitting was correct except for a little bit of tightness around the small toe which disappeared after some time.

The heel counter is not the strongest but just solid enough to lock down the foot when running. The heel counter fits nicely around the Achilles. They say little is enough, and yes, the collar is thin but comes with enough padding.

On Cloudboom Sole Component

On Cloudboom has a dual-layered midsole, and it is where all the magic happens. The major components of the midsole are the cloudtec pods that sit below the speed board and the carbon-infused speedboat that spits the On CloudTec pods, and the ON Helion foam cushioning. So, in essence, the hellion foam sits on top of the carbon speed board.

The Helion foam is super soft. Apart from providing cushioning, it also offers that propulsive feel emerging from the speed board.

 The low stacked midsole is also a significant component feature of this shoe. The heel drop stands at about 9mm, which is the standard height for racing shoes.

These exciting features at the midsole significantly affect the performance of the shoe. My running experience was exciting, especially when I did fast runs. I noticed the carbon plate performing better on speed runs. At a slow pace, the carbon plate was less responsive, and the ride was pretty firm. However, the response increased when I picked up the pace.

The effectiveness of the carbon speed-board is enhanced by the rockered midsole, which makes the heel-to-toe transition very seamless. The two features combine to make the Cloudboom a very economical speed shoe.

Furthermore, the rocker midsole in the Cloudboom is very conspicuous. Interestingly, unlike the many carbon-plated racing shoes, the Cloudboom has a very flexible midsole. It bends easily without breaking.

Even with the super-soft Helion foam, the ride felt a little bit firm but snappy. The reason can be attributed to Cloudboom being a carbon-plated speed shoe, but not a cushioning shoe.

With the thin cushioning in the upper, racking up longer miles was impossible. Stretching to long-distance running is not attainable because the shoe does not provide the much-needed supportive, cushioning, and stability features for a long-distance marathon. I also noticed a lack of bounciness or springiness at a slow pace.

Technically, the Cloudboom rides like the Asics Metaracer. While both are incomparable to the elite carbon-plated speed shoes like the Nike Vaporfly Next%, I felt that Asics Metaracer has more cushioning than On Cloudboom.

Despite being a speed-running shoe, the outsole design gives Cloudboom some technical elements for versatility. The design of the outsole is marveling. ON continues to use the pod technology with hard carbon rubber placed at high-impact zones in the outsole. The carbon rubber is less in the heel but more present at the forefoot area of the shoe to protect the cloud tech pods sitting below the speed-board. The abrasive rubber also performed well on wet tarmac and grass. I did not experience slippage but security.

Just like in the New Balance Beacon V3, the Cloudboom has a full ground contact outsole. For a heel striker, the gait cycle remains seamless and unhampered.  

I have racked up 110 miles with my On Cloudboom. It is a pretty small mileage for a six-month shoe, but I use this shoe for occasional short high-speed runs. Generally, you will feel fast when running in this shoe.

Conclusion

Cloudboom is not a bad shoe; hence, I recommend it to a minimalist who is into fast-speed runs or loves the track. There is no significant difference between the ON Cloudboom and the Metaracer if you are looking for speed performance. The only difference is that the Metaracer has more cushioning and frills, while the Cloudboom has a more stable and flexible outsole.

Another difference is that the Cloudboom rides more like a plated speed shoe than the Metaracer. Essentially, you will feel the propelling speed-board when running in ON Cloudboom. It is not the lightest racing shoe out there, but it weighs considerably lightweight.

The midsole is very exciting, especially the responsiveness underneath the foot. It is a shoe to go to if you are looking for short and fast racings. The only way to enjoy Cloudboom is by running fast. It will not disappoint you. You may also use it for a 10k marathon. Overall, the Cloudboom is a different kind of carbon-plated running shoe with traditional racing features. It is unique and does a lot.

On Cloudboom is reviewed by Clay Perkins from Alabama. Clay runs to keep fit and likes it fast. He is also an athletics fan and draws inspiration from great athletes like Usain Bolt.