On Cloudsurfer 2 Review: A High-Tech Shoe for Everyday Running
ShoppingThe most primitive workout gets its most cutting-edge upgrade.By Tanner BowdenFebruary 13, 2025Save this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.In a lot of ways, the On Cloudsurfer 2 isn't your average shoe from the Swiss running brand. If you haven't had your head in its trademark clouds, the reasons why won't be clear, and much of it has to do with tech—CloudTec, to be specific, which are those holey outsole "pods" that made On shoes look so unique in a sea of similar-looking running shoes. Spoiler Alert: The Cloudsurfer 2 doesn't have them. It's also not the second Cloudsurfer (it's the eighth) but On reset the count with a wholesale redesign that replaced those CloudTec pods with something called CloudTec Phase, which might look similar, but any runner familiar with this lineage will know feels very, very different.Tech has always been important to On. Very recently the company revealed a laceless marathon shoe that's essentially 3D-printed, and Hellen Obiri went and won the Boston Marathon in it. Twice. (There must really be something to that "Swiss Engineering" we've all heard so much about.) But that shoe doesn't have CloudTec pods at all. Loads of runners wear and love On shoes, but it's also been a common complaint heard among shoe geeks and run clubs that the feel of Ons was always a little off.Then the first Cloudsurfer arrived, and those shrugs of ambivalence turned into nods of approval. The shoe still looked and felt distinctly On, but it rolled through runs at a more familiar tempo. The critics agreed: On found its footing with this one. But what about the Cloudsurfer 2? Does the just-released update continue on the skyward trajectory set by the Swiss shoemaker? I've been running in a pair for the past few weeks to see for myself.OnCloudsurfer 2$160 ZapposPros & ConsAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronProsVersatile enough for different kinds of runsRockered sole makes for easy, rolling transitionsRevised outsole is nice and grippyConsRequires short break-in periodNot as responsive as other modern running shoesSpecsAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronWeight: 9.2 ozDrop: 9 mmStack Height: 32 mm heel, 23 mm toeMaterials: 88% recycled polyester upper, Helion foam midsole, rubber outsoleSize Range: 7 to 14How Do They Look?Despite the midsole shakeup, the new Cloudsurfer still looks decidedly on-brand for On. It has sleek, perforated nylon mesh upper with stitched lace loops at the toe and tongue ends—and it comes in the slick, understated colorways that On is known for. The keen-eyed will notice that the Cloudsurfer 2 has more mesh vents, which is a direct response to critiques that the previous iteration could've been more breathable.The Cloudsurfer 2 has sleek, perforated nylon mesh upper with stitched lace loops at the toe and tongue ends. Tanner BowdenThen there's the midsole—podless. Instead, CloudTec Phase uses a combination of Helion and strategically placed pass-throughs that were generated in a computer-powered process called Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Their pattern lets you see the purpose as clearly as you can see through that midsole; the pockets collapse and expand as the shoe rolls through each step, absorbing and then returning energy in the process.CloudTec Phase makes the Cloudsurfer 2 look a little different from older On shoes, but fans of the aesthetic won't be disappointed by the changes. If anything, it's an even sleeker shoe than it used to be.How Do They Fit?On says that CloudTec Phase makes the Cloudsurfer 2 "soft" and "plush," but in the running world these words have been given new meaning in recent years by shoes like the New Balance X 1080 and Brooks Glycerine Max, where the midsoles feel like they're made of marshmallows. The Cloudsurfer's a little stiffer than that. I don't feel like I'm sinking into them when I lace up, or like those domino-shaped holes beneath my feet are collapsing under my weight.CloudTec Phase uses a combination of Helion and strategically placed pass-throughs that were generated in a computer-powered process called Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Tanner BowdenI've tested most of On's running shoes, so I know that their uppers can be stiff. I've had issues with pressure near the tongue and have come out of first runs bleeding from the ankles. Neither occurred with the Cloudsurfer 2 (nor, I should say, any of the other On shoes I've tested in the past few years), thanks to a new collar that I actually would use the word "plush" to describe. The upper is still stiffer than others, and the redesigned tongue also feels beefy, but both broke in nicely after 10 or so miles. (The snow and slop of New England's winter during those runs probably aided in the process.) On all the important and typical metrics for grading fit—space for toes to splay, midfoot lockdown, heel hold—the Cloudsurfer gets high marks.How Do They Wear?CloudTec P
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
In a lot of ways, the On Cloudsurfer 2 isn't your average shoe from the Swiss running brand. If you haven't had your head in its trademark clouds, the reasons why won't be clear, and much of it has to do with tech—CloudTec, to be specific, which are those holey outsole "pods" that made On shoes look so unique in a sea of similar-looking running shoes. Spoiler Alert: The Cloudsurfer 2 doesn't have them. It's also not the second Cloudsurfer (it's the eighth) but On reset the count with a wholesale redesign that replaced those CloudTec pods with something called CloudTec Phase, which might look similar, but any runner familiar with this lineage will know feels very, very different.
Tech has always been important to On. Very recently the company revealed a laceless marathon shoe that's essentially 3D-printed, and Hellen Obiri went and won the Boston Marathon in it. Twice. (There must really be something to that "Swiss Engineering" we've all heard so much about.) But that shoe doesn't have CloudTec pods at all. Loads of runners wear and love On shoes, but it's also been a common complaint heard among shoe geeks and run clubs that the feel of Ons was always a little off.
Then the first Cloudsurfer arrived, and those shrugs of ambivalence turned into nods of approval. The shoe still looked and felt distinctly On, but it rolled through runs at a more familiar tempo. The critics agreed: On found its footing with this one. But what about the Cloudsurfer 2? Does the just-released update continue on the skyward trajectory set by the Swiss shoemaker? I've been running in a pair for the past few weeks to see for myself.
Specs
Weight: 9.2 oz
Drop: 9 mm
Stack Height: 32 mm heel, 23 mm toe
Materials: 88% recycled polyester upper, Helion foam midsole, rubber outsole
Size Range: 7 to 14
How Do They Look?
Despite the midsole shakeup, the new Cloudsurfer still looks decidedly on-brand for On. It has sleek, perforated nylon mesh upper with stitched lace loops at the toe and tongue ends—and it comes in the slick, understated colorways that On is known for. The keen-eyed will notice that the Cloudsurfer 2 has more mesh vents, which is a direct response to critiques that the previous iteration could've been more breathable.
Then there's the midsole—podless. Instead, CloudTec Phase uses a combination of Helion and strategically placed pass-throughs that were generated in a computer-powered process called Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Their pattern lets you see the purpose as clearly as you can see through that midsole; the pockets collapse and expand as the shoe rolls through each step, absorbing and then returning energy in the process.
CloudTec Phase makes the Cloudsurfer 2 look a little different from older On shoes, but fans of the aesthetic won't be disappointed by the changes. If anything, it's an even sleeker shoe than it used to be.
How Do They Fit?
On says that CloudTec Phase makes the Cloudsurfer 2 "soft" and "plush," but in the running world these words have been given new meaning in recent years by shoes like the New Balance X 1080 and Brooks Glycerine Max, where the midsoles feel like they're made of marshmallows. The Cloudsurfer's a little stiffer than that. I don't feel like I'm sinking into them when I lace up, or like those domino-shaped holes beneath my feet are collapsing under my weight.
I've tested most of On's running shoes, so I know that their uppers can be stiff. I've had issues with pressure near the tongue and have come out of first runs bleeding from the ankles. Neither occurred with the Cloudsurfer 2 (nor, I should say, any of the other On shoes I've tested in the past few years), thanks to a new collar that I actually would use the word "plush" to describe. The upper is still stiffer than others, and the redesigned tongue also feels beefy, but both broke in nicely after 10 or so miles. (The snow and slop of New England's winter during those runs probably aided in the process.) On all the important and typical metrics for grading fit—space for toes to splay, midfoot lockdown, heel hold—the Cloudsurfer gets high marks.
How Do They Wear?
CloudTec Phase isn't the sole reason why the Cloudsurfer 2 feels different from other On shoes. Most of the company's tech is visible, but one thing you can't see on the shoe's exterior is that it doesn't have a Speedboard, another piece of Swiss shoe wizardry that provides stability and spring but also a sense of stiffness. Running short and long in the Cloudsurfer 2 on pavement and dirt roads, I found the shoe doesn't need it. It's not too soft, and whether it's the computer-generated midsole or the PEBA-infused Helion "superfoam" that it's made of, the experience is grounded and responsive more than anything else. Not spring-loaded, but not dull; not soft, but not firm. These are fine lines to walk (or run).
I alluded to my testing environment a moment ago. It's been a snowy winter in Vermont and conditions on my go-to roads and paths have been variable at best: sometimes dry, sometimes caked with new or freshly plowed snow. As a runner, you learn to layer up and take it all in stride. Slipping around is often inevitable, but I've been impressed at how well the Cloudsurfer 2 handles in the crud. Poor traction was my primary gripe against the first pair of Ons I ever ran in, and it was a critique many had of the last Cloudsurfer. The designers addressed it head-on, rejiggering the shoe's underfoot grip with new tread and more rubber. It cost the Cloudsurfer half an ounce in weight gain, but I think runners will deem that tradeoff fair.
For all the new and updated tech loaded into the Cloudsurfer 2, it wears like a fairly traditional, everyday running shoe. That's not a knock—my main critique is that I wish the shoe had a touch more; more spring, more softness—it's an acknowledgement that despite appearances, the Cloudsurfer 2 is more workhorse than show pony. It does have a nice rolly feel thanks to a curved rocker profile, a more progressive shoe feature, but it's not too exaggerated. I ran short distances, long distances, tempo workouts, and track workouts, and the Cloudsurfer 2 handled everything reliably and well. It broke in, but it didn't break. These are all things a good running shoe should do.
Are They Worth It?
People come to On for different reasons. The look of the shoes, the tech, a lasting adoration for Roger Federer (maybe). If any of these dovetail with the need for a reliable running shoe for a variety of weekly runs (or even just a comfortable shoe to walk around in), then the Cloudsurfer 2 is a fine choice. New runners and runners new to On should start their shoe search with the Cloudsurfer 2—chances are they'll end the hunt there. There are more exciting, more specialized running shoes our there (some are made by On) but the Cloudsurfer 2 is the do-it-all go-to you can lace up over and over again, rain or shine, snow or… clouds.
