On Cloudmonster

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9 oz · 6mm drop · 39/33mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The On Cloudmonster 2 replaced it

How it ranks

The On Cloudmonster is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Looks and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. Most runners who came to it from another shoe preferred it. The rating rests on 77 runner reviews and 2 other rated shoes in the Cloudmonster product line.

Exceptional

97/100

Overall

Exceptional 97

Appearance

Exceptional 99

Cushioning

Excellent 97

Comfort

Good 88

Durability

Good 87

Value

Below average 66

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

98/100

Very high 98

What runners say

“I feel like I've strapped mini trampolines to my feet.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38

“The best shoe I've ever run in. Super responsive with a comfortable but firm ride.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the New Balance Fresh Foam 880 v10

“Super lightweight, tipping the scales at just around 10.8 ounces.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38

“They feel like I'm running on clouds.”

5/5 Full review 16 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Brooks Glycerin 19

“I love the way they bounce back after hitting the ground.”

5/5 Full review 16 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Brooks Glycerin 19

“So comfortable and cushioned, they made me feel like I was actually running on clouds.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v2

“Boasts a substantial cushion stack height, which provides a plush ride.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38

“This shoe functioned as a great daily trainer that especially excelled at picking up the pace.”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 37

“They seem to strike the perfect balance between cushioned and stable.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39

“The cushioning is good without being too soft, and the speedboard allows for a propulsive feel.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3

Prefer this shoe over another

71% 25/35

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers say the plate and rocker add snap for tempo and long runs.
Reviewers call it among the most comfortable, cushioned shoes they have run in.
Reviewers describe the ride as cushioned but firm rather than soft.

Cons

It lists above the $150 median for daily trainers on sale, and eleven reviewers call it expensive.
Five reviewers say the sole wears out sooner than other trainers, though three report 500 miles or more.
Three reviewers find the stiff plate uncomfortable at slow, easy paces.

Cloudmonster rates 97. This shoe has very high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the On Cloudmonster

Each dot is one version of the Cloudmonster, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

97 2022 69 2024 92 2026

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Cloudmonster 3

2026 · 5 reviews

92 Very good

79 Confidence
Cloudmonster 2

2024 · 12 reviews

69 Below average

62 Confidence
Cloudmonster This shoe

2022 · 77 reviews

97 Exceptional

98 Confidence

Reader Ratings

77 ratings

5/5 45

4/5 29

3/5 2

2/5 1

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 9 oz
Release: 2022 Q1
MSRP: $180
Stack Height: 39mm heel - 33mm toe
Drop Height: 6mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

First time trying On running shoes

4/5

Overall

After several years running on Nike Pegasus, I tried sometime different in preperations for my second marathon with the ON CLOUDMONSTER. They are more cushioned, but needed a break-in, because in the beginning the felt really stiff. I also had some issue with heel slippage but using the runners knot solved this and give me a secured fit! After 800km they still are a great pair of schoes and I felt very good running in them. Would buy a second pair!

Anonymous runner · Jun 14, 2023

22 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 3/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5

solid, nothing special

4/5

Overall

good shoe, like everything about it. Not any different than a lot of other shoes. Feels about halfway between a hoka clifton and a nike pegasus.

Gordon · Jun 13, 2023

50 mpw training for middle distance came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

5/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jun 11, 2023

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Nice Shoes for Long Runs

4/5

Overall

I bought the shoe for long runs. For that it works well. I find Hokas to be too clunky. These seem a lot more responsive to me. Yet they still absorb a lot of the pounding.

MattS · Jun 9, 2023

15 mpw training for a marathon

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5

Best shoe ever, but expensive and low durability

5/5

Overall

The On Cloudmonster is the best shoe I've ever run in. Super responsive with a comfortable but firm ride. It has a speedboard/ plate in it like the endorphin speed which makes it feel very snappy. It's a daily trainer but for your faster more steady runs. The only issue i've had is that it only lasts around 200 miles; the heel of the shoe starts to fall apart after that.

Olin Kasperowicz · Jun 8, 2023

45 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the New Balance Fresh Foam 880 v10

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 3/5

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Analyses

On Cloudmonster

Exceptional