By Brian Metzler
The new On Cloudsurfer 2 everyday training shoe that dropped this week sits at the crossroads where running fitness meets casual fashion. In fact, it embodies and epitomizes those uniquely intertwined (and starkly different) footwear criteria as much or more than any running shoe in recent memory.
To say that the On running brand has come a long way in 10 years is a vast understatement. When the upstart Swiss shoe company burst on the scene more than a decade ago, runners quickly took notice but they also barely noticed. What does that mean? The brand’s clean aesthetics and the unique “cloud” cushioning caught consumers’ eyes, although the confusing logo treatment (i.e. Is that QC? Or is it On?) prompted On to eventually poke fun at themselves with the Elmo muppet character in a Super Bowl ad with Roger Federer. Despite the buzz, its early shoes didn’t quite measure up performance-wise, so a lot of runners who did give them a try were largely ambivalent. But sales of its shoes still boomed in trendy U.S. cities like New York, San Francisco, Nashville, and Portland because of the casual appeal derived from their stylish, avant garde look.
Fast forward to 2025 and On has more or less caught up to running shoe industry heavyweights Nike, Adidas, Brooks, Saucony, New Balance, and fellow 2010s upstart Hoka when it comes to comfort and performance. Although you still won’t see as many On shoes on runners’ feet in your next race – even though the Cloudboom Strike is one of the best super shoes on the market – the midsole cushioning of its training shoes has made huge strides in recent years. And because it’s still riding the wave of its lifestyle popularity, On is a white-hot brand – both for runners training for 5Ks to half marathons as well as for those seeking shoes that look good with jeans or yoga pants. The new Cloudsurfer 2, an update of the original that debuted in 2023, remains Exhibit A when it comes to a dual-purpose shoe that fits those categories.
What’s New: The Cloudsurfer 2 has been enhanced with a new, firmer iteration of Helion foam cushioning in the CloudTec Phase midsole, a new, a more breathable and supportive engineered mesh upper and tongue (made from a greater amount of recycled materials), a lower heel cup design, a more rockered geometry, and a more durable rubber outsole. The updates are significant, but they’re greater than the sum of the parts, helping uplevel the shoe’s comfort and performance across the board. (And, thankfully, there’s no more awkward squeaking sound that was present in the original On Cloudsurfer!)
Fit/Feel/Ride: The Cloudsurfer 2 fits true to size with a medium-volume interior and a little extra room for toes to wiggle in the forefoot. It has a comfortable and accommodating step-in feel – semi-soft underfoot and good padding in the tongue and heel collar – but it’s not soft, cushy, and plush like the original Cloudsurfer and many contemporary max-cushioned training shoes. Instead, it serves up a decidedly semi-firm, lower-to-the-ground sensation when you lace it up and take off running. (And that’s interesting, because this shoe is being promoted as part of a “Soft Wins” campaign that seems a bit incongruent to what the shoe actually is.) While it does feel “soft-ish” and absorbent out on the run, it’s more of a smooth and consistent rolling ride, not a bouncy, hyper-responsive vibe that we’ve become so accustomed to in our everyday training shoes. But that’s not a negative thing, either.
Why It’s Great: After running about 70 miles in this shoe in February, I think it’s great because it’s versatile, and also because it’s not a soft, high-stack maximally cushioned shoe. Those things go hand-in-hand: the lower-to-the-ground profile, firmer midsole, and the slightly more curvy/rockered geometry provide improved proprioceptive feel for the ground and easy and consistent heel-to-toe transitions. Those qualities allow for a wide range of pace variability, meaning you can run all of the training paces that you’ll want to hit during a given week. It’s most comfortable running in the slow-to-moderate Zone 2 and Zone 3 training places, but the semi-firm sensation of the midsole provides some snappiness and gives it the ability to hit Zone 4 – albeit with a little more effort than most springier training shoes.
Specs
Price: $160
Weight: 7.9 oz. (women’s size 8), 9.2 oz. (men’s size 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 9mm; 32mm (heel), 23mm (forefoot)
Why You’ll Love It: If you love the Cloudsurfer 2, it’s probably because you appreciate that it’s a throwback to 10 years ago before the maximally cushioned shoe trend exploded. The semi-firm feeling underfoot and the lower stack height have allowed me to feel the ground better than more thickly cushioned shoes, and, as a result, enhanced the proprioceptive awareness – and control – of my stride. That allowed me to switch gears easily and run at a wider range of paces, even though it lacks a hyper energetic midsole sensation.
Why You Might Not Like It: This is a good mid-range shoe for runners logging 20-40 miles per week or those training up to a half marathon. It’s probably not a shoe I’d recommend for runs longer than 10 miles, if only because it doesn’t have the long-haul softness and energetic responsiveness for long marathon training runs. If you’re a fan of soft, bouncy shoes, this isn’t going to be your jam.
Pro: Yep, this shoe looks good! It is already getting street cred for its positive lifestyle aesthetics in early reviews and social media. I’m definitely not a fashionista, but when my 21-year-old daughter and her college classmates think it’s cool, there must be something noteworthy about it. As a runner, should you buy a shoe because it looks good with jeans or yoga pants? Heck yes! But my advice would be to wear it primarily as a running shoe or a casual shoe, but not both.
Con: The On shoe developers continue to insist on designing shoes with a semi-wide and semi-deep channel under the shoe’s heel – once again making it an easy attractor of small- to medium-sized pebbles that can get caught and create an awkward clicking noise on every stride. It’s a conundrum that has oddly been a calling card of On shoes for years.
