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The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is a top-tier racing shoe, but it’s also accommodating enough to be a speedy workout shoe or even an everyday trainer.
It’s a wild time to be a runner, especially when it comes to shopping for new shoes. Every time you stop by your local running shop, visit an online store or check out what your running buddies are wearing at your weekly group run, you realize there are stunning new shoes dropping all the time, especially when it comes to high-end racing super shoes.
It’s hard to keep up with the latest and greatest, even for a shoe geek like myself.
The new On Cloudboom Strike 2 racing shoe is certainly a shoe that falls in line as being one of the latest and very goodest, given that it took a good shoe from 2024 and made it lighter, more responsive and better fitting. But it’s also versatile and accommodating enough that some runners might consider it to be their go-to speed-day workout shoe and for others even a very energetic almost-everyday trainer.
Is that three shoes in one? Yes, potentially. It just depends on how you choose to use it.
But here’s the thing, it also hits running stores with a unique price chop. Whereas the original version that came out in 2024 was $280, this year’s model is only $250. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bargain, but perhaps more that the original version was a bit overpriced and it makes space for the more pricier LightSpray edition of this shoe as a take-down of the custom models with the spray-on uppers worn by Boston and New York City Marathon champion Hellen Obiri.
But after logging real miles in it, I’m convinced its best identity might not be race day at all. Or at least it doesn’t have to be. It’s one of the most fun, energetic training shoes I’ve run in this year, capable of covering everything from easy jogs to marathon-pace work without ever feeling like it’s phoning it in. Could you run a new marathon PR in it? Yes, for sure. Could you wear it everyday for weeks on end? Yes, definitely, and I have.
Price: $250 (women’s / men’s)
Approximate Weights: 6.2 oz. (women’s size 8.0), 7.0 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Heel-Toe Offset: 5mm; 40mm (heel), 35mm (forefoot)
(The forthcoming LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2, which has similar specs and a laceless upper, has a $310 price tag.)
What’s New: The Cloudboom Strike 2 carries over the DNA of the original version and the channel that bisects the bottom of the midsole, but it retooled the geometry that made it distinctive. It has a revamped and livelier PEBA-based Helion HF midsole, but the new model features the brand’s new CloudTec Sphere segmented midsole structure that lets three segments of midsole foam to compress and rebound more independently, rather than acting as one solid slab as it did in the original edition. The carbon Speedboard plate has also been remade to be lighter, curvier and stiffer, and those changes are what have helped up-level the performance of the Cloudboom Strike 2.
There is also a new upper that feels like it disappears on your feet. It’s made from a unique Lenoweave interlocking technique that locks threads in place, delivering maximum breathability, high tensile strength, and a secure lockdown without adding heavy layers or extra weight. The outsole is made from a high-grip nanotube rubber compound, tuned for traction and durability when you’re moving fast. Where a lot of minimalist carbon racers get stingy with rubber and leave big patches of foam exposed to the road, On went the other way here—thick coverage across every major ground-contact zone, front to back.
Fit/Feel/Ride: The Cloudboom Strike 2 fits true to size with a narrow/medium interior volume and only a little bit of wiggle room (just enough for my liking) in the forefoot. It has a thinly padded and partially gusseted tongue that cinches up well with the shoe’s flat and narrow laces, which do an exceptional job of offering variable levels of tightness from forefoot to saddle. The reinforced heel has an integrated heel cup that gives real lockdown and just enough support, so the shoe never feels sloppy even when you’re picking up the pace.
The step-in feeling is both decidedly cozy and minimalistic (given the light and airy upper), but you also immediately feel the bounciness under your feet, and for me, it just made me eager to lace up and go for a run. And that gets to the best part of the Cloudboom Strike 2 experience, the extremely energetic and responsive ride.
The original edition had a similar soft and bouncy vibe, but the new edition, thanks to the shapelier and stiffer plate, really takes it up a notch. It’s a shoe that feels extraordinarily springy in every stride at any pace, and the faster you run—and the more force you exert on the plate—the springier and livelier the foam feels. However, it’s not as sharp or aggressive in the forefoot as many other marathon super shoes.
Why It’s Great: What separates the Cloudboom Strike 2 from a lot of race-first shoes is its versatility. Whereas many high-end carbon-plated super shoes are made for all-out racing, this is a rare shoe that can be both—a race-day weapon of choice for a wide range of runners—let’s say 2:45 marathoners to 4:30 marathoners—but also a very effective super trainer that crush marathon training workouts like 3 x 3 miles, mile repeats, long tempo runs and even long progression runs.
Why You’ll Love It: Your training includes a mix of workout types, this is a shoe that can live in rotation as a several-days-a-week shoe rather than sitting in the closet waiting for race day. It’s responsive in a way that feels genuinely energetic rather than just soft as every stride gets a little pop back, and that liveliness is what makes the shoe fun rather than merely capable. It’ll even do a shorter easy run in a pinch, though that’s not where it’s most in its element and it might feel a bit overly bouncy.
Why You Might Not Like It: If there is a case when you have too much of a good thing, it could be the never-ending bounciness of the Cloudboom Strike 2. While it’s a shoe that you can wear while warming up and cooling down before and after a tempo run or series of long intervals, it just doesn’t feel as good at slower paces. It can also feel a bit wobbly at recovery pace if you have a heavy heel-striking gait. Also, like the first version, the midsole foam quickly develops a wrinkled appearance after just a few runs. That doesn’t mean it’s worn out, but it is a cosmetic thing.
Pros: The tongue is thin, lightweight, and just lightly padded enough to keep lace pressure off the top of your foot without adding bulk or warmth. Overall, it’s very light, it fits great, it’s fast, and it’s versatile.
Cons: The biggest drawbacks I found were that this shoe can feel a bit unstable when heavy heel striking at slower speeds, the laces are a bit too long and that it can feel overly snappy at easier paces. (Sometimes I just want a stable, semi-soft and entirely stable shoe on recovery runs.)
Contributing editor Brian Metzler is the Content Director for UltraSignup.com, who has raced every distance from 5K to 100 miles. He has wear-tested more than 2,000 running shoes and is the author of “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (2019) and “Trail Running Illustrated” (2021). He has raced just about every distance from 100 meters to 100 miles, but he’s most eager to share stories about his experiences pack burro racing in Colorado and riding trains to run trails in Chamonix, France.
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