Best On Cloud Running Shoes: Cloudmonster, Cloudsurfer or Cloudrunner?
On sells a lot of shoes to people who do not run in them. These are the three CloudTec models built for actual training, measured in two independent labs - including the places where the lab numbers come in well under On's own spec sheet.
The mainstream daily trainer and the one to default to: 9.2 oz on a 37.5 mm lab-measured heel, sold in a Wide, and Treeline Review's pick as the best shoe for recovery runs. Firm rather than bouncy.
The tallest On trainer: a 37.9 mm heel in RunRepeat's lab and 40.5 mm in RTINGS', with lateral stability rated as its strongest quality. Heavy at 10.3 oz, and no wide width.
A maximum-rated stiff heel counter and rearfoot sidewalls on a modest stack, in Regular and Wide. RunRepeat found it rides closer to a neutral shoe than a true support shoe, so buy it for the heel hold.
#ad · Prices come live from Amazon, last checked October 17, 2026. Scores are ours, compiled from published specs and the maker's intended use. Product photos come from Amazon. Tap a row for the full write-up.
The best On running shoe for most runners is the On Cloudsurfer 2: 9.2 oz on a 37.5 mm lab-measured heel, available in a Wide, and Treeline Review's pick as the best shoe for recovery runs in its 2026 test. If you want the tallest, most protective On for long runs, the Cloudmonster 2. If your heel wanders and you want it held still, the Cloudrunner 2. Those three are the On range worth running in; everything else in the Cloud family is a lifestyle shoe.
The short answer
What CloudTec actually does
CloudTec is the hollow-pod outsole that makes an On look like an On. The pods compress on landing and the Speedboard plate above them stiffens the ride. Two consequences show up in the lab data rather than the marketing:
Firm, not cloud-like. RunRepeat measured the Cloudsurfer 2's midsole at 43.8 AC and the Cloudrunner 2's at 48.6 AC, both on the firm side. Even the big Cloudmonster 2 came in at 49.6 AC, which is unusual for a max-cushion shoe.
Good lateral stability, poor energy return. RTINGS rates lateral stability as the Cloudmonster 2's strongest quality while both labs mark its energy return poorly, and RTINGS calls it unsuitable for racing or speedwork. That combination — steady but not springy — defines the brand.
If you want bounce, the brands to shop are the ones with supercritical foams; see best daily trainer running shoes. If you want a shoe that feels planted on tired legs, On earns its place.
Every value links to the lab that measured it or to On's own product page.
The Cloudsurfer 2 is the lightest of the three and the only one of the two neutral shoes available in a Wide. The Cloudmonster 2 is an ounce heavier and about as tall, and has no wide width at all — though RunRepeat notes its upper is roomy enough that wide feet often get away with it.
Where On's spec sheet and the labs disagree
This is the part of an On purchase nobody tells you about, so here it is with numbers:
Cloudrunner 2. On lists 39 mm / 29 mm. RunRepeat's lab measured 33.6 mm / 25.1 mm. That is more than 5 mm of missing heel stack, and it is why we call the Cloudrunner 2 a modest-stack shoe rather than a long-run one.
Cloudsurfer 2. On lists 32 mm / 23 mm; RunRepeat measured 37.5 mm / 27.1 mm — taller than claimed, in this case. It also measured a 10.4 mm drop against On's listed 9 mm, while RTINGS got 8.6 mm.
Cloudmonster 2. The two labs disagree with each other: 37.9 mm at the heel in RunRepeat's lab, 40.5 mm in RTINGS'.
None of that makes these bad shoes. It does mean you should buy an On for how it feels on your foot rather than for a number on the box. The same logic applies to drop — see heel drop and stack height explained.
Which On for your weekly mileage
Couch to 5K. The NHS plan is three run/walk sessions a week for nine weeks. The Cloudsurfer 2, or the Cloudrunner 2 if your ankles feel unsteady; the AAOS asks that a shoe adequately grip your heel to ensure stability, and that stiff heel counter is the Cloudrunner's best feature.
10K training.Cloudsurfer 2. Keep something lighter for strides.
Half marathon. Higdon's Novice 1 Half peaks at 10 miles. Cloudmonster 2 for the long run, Cloudsurfer 2 midweek.
One practical warning. Our 2026 availability check found no official On brand store on Amazon: current On running models are sold by third-party sellers. That is not automatically a problem — plenty of those sellers are legitimate running retailers — but it does mean checking the seller name, the return terms and the stated width before you order, and being sceptical of a listing priced far below the others. Every card on this page says so on its face.
In detail
The picks, in full
1
Best On overall
On Cloudsurfer 2
C25K10KHALFMARATHON
8.0 /10
The mainstream daily trainer and the one to default to: 9.2 oz on a 37.5 mm lab-measured heel, sold in a Wide, and Treeline Review's pick as the best shoe for recovery runs. Firm rather than bouncy.
#ad · Price as of October 17, 2026 · Sold on Amazon through third-party sellers · Affiliate disclosure for the link to On Cloudsurfer 2
2
Best On for long runs
On Cloudmonster 2
C25K10KHALFMARATHON
7.7 /10
The tallest On trainer: a 37.9 mm heel in RunRepeat's lab and 40.5 mm in RTINGS', with lateral stability rated as its strongest quality. Heavy at 10.3 oz, and no wide width.
#ad · Price as of October 17, 2026 · Sold on Amazon through third-party sellers · Affiliate disclosure for the link to On Cloudmonster 2
3
Best On support option
On Cloudrunner 2
C25K10KHALFMARATHON
7.4 /10
A maximum-rated stiff heel counter and rearfoot sidewalls on a modest stack, in Regular and Wide. RunRepeat found it rides closer to a neutral shoe than a true support shoe, so buy it for the heel hold.
#ad · Price as of October 17, 2026 · Sold on Amazon through third-party sellers · Affiliate disclosure for the link to On Cloudrunner 2
How to choose
Default to the Cloudsurfer 2. It is the lightest, it comes in a Wide, and Treeline Review's recovery footwear test picked it as the best shoe for recovery runs.
Go Cloudmonster 2 only for long, easy miles. At 10.3 oz with poor measured energy return it is a one-job shoe.
Buy the Cloudrunner 2 for heel hold, not for pronation control. RunRepeat is explicit that it behaves mostly as a neutral trainer.
Expect firm. All three measured on the firm side of the lab average. If you want soft, look elsewhere before you spend.
Check the width before you buy. Cloudsurfer 2 and Cloudrunner 2 have a Wide; the Cloudmonster 2 does not.
Common mistakes
Buying a Cloud 5 or Cloud X to run in. Those are lifestyle and gym shoes. The three on this page are the running line.
Trusting the listed stack height. The Cloudrunner 2 measured more than 5 mm under its claim.
Expecting a bouncy ride. Both labs rate On's energy return poorly. CloudTec gives you stability, not spring.
Using an On for speedwork. RTINGS calls the Cloudmonster 2 unsuitable for racing or speedwork, and the other two are not fast shoes either.
Ignoring the seller. With no brand store, the listing you click matters more than it does for Brooks or ASICS.
How we chose these
Researched, compared, scored for your level
We start from what a published training plan actually asks of a runner at your level, compare every model's published specs (stack height, drop, weight, plate, stability features, widths) against that job, and score each pick on a public rubric. Each spec links to where it came from, so you can shortlist in minutes and buy with the numbers in front of you.
The Cloudsurfer 2 for most runners: 9.2 oz on a 37.5 mm lab-measured heel, available in a Wide, and Treeline Review's pick for recovery runs. The Cloudmonster 2 is the taller long-run option and the Cloudrunner 2 the one with the firmest heel hold.
Are On running shoes good for running?+
These three are. They measure firm, with good lateral stability and below-average energy return, which makes them steady trainers rather than fast ones. Most of the wider On Cloud range is lifestyle footwear and is not built for training.
On Cloudmonster vs Cloudsurfer: which should I buy?+
Cloudsurfer 2 unless you specifically want more foam: it is about an ounce lighter at 9.2 oz, comes in a Wide, and sits at a similar lab-measured heel height. Buy the Cloudmonster 2 for long easy runs where its taller, very stable platform helps.
Do On running shoes come in wide sizes?+
The Cloudsurfer 2 and Cloudrunner 2 do, in Normal and Wide. The Cloudmonster 2 is standard width only, though RunRepeat notes a roomy upper. For genuine 2E and 4E sizing, see best running shoes for wide feet.
Is On better than HOKA?+
They are built on opposite ideas: On is firm and stable, HOKA is soft and rockered. We put the two head-to-head, with the lab figures, in HOKA vs On Cloud.
Every figure above is traceable. Specs come from the maker's own pages or the named reviewer's published measurements (linked above); level definitions come from published training plans; prices come from Amazon's own API and carry the date they were checked, so you buy on a current number. Read the full method.
