On Cloudrunner 3 Review
By David Salas
On Cloudrunner 3Price: $159.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 11.2 oz, 317g (men's size 9.5) *taken from home scale
Stack Height: 31 mm heel / 23 mm forefoot
Drop: 8 mm
Shoe Purpose: Daily training, mild-to-moderate stability, walking and lifestyle
Pros: Excellent upper that should work for those needing more space, great geometry for both walking and running
Cons: It does run a little heavy for the stack height. Midsole can come off a bit flat in responsiveness.
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The On Cloudrunner 3 is a mild-to-moderate stability training shoe with moderate cushioning. The shoe focuses a lot of their stability efforts in the rearfoot. There is a heel clip for both guidance and rigidity. This is also coupled with a lot of sole flaring and sidewall action around the rearfoot. The ride is on the firmer side, but should provide enough protection for daily training needs. For many, this will also double as an excellent walking and standing shoe. For running, it is best for easy miles and providing some guidance through the rearfoot.
SIMILAR SHOES: Asics GT 2000 13, Topo Ultrafly 5
PAST MODEL: On Cloudrunner 2
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
David: The On Cloudrunner 3 fits true to size in my men's 9.5. This is actually one of my favorite uppers in recent history. The feeling on foot is plush throughout, while still being very breathable. The mesh upper is soft on foot, but does not run overly warm. The width in the heel is normal, with the midfoot and forefoot being slightly wide. The volume is on the higher end and there is plenty of room for swelling accommodation. The tongue is padded well and I had no issues with biting from the laces. The heel collar is padded and holds the foot well. There is a heel counter and a heel clip that adds some rigidity, but it is integrated really well. I had no issues with heel slippage or foot translation. My foot felt both secure and comfortable. This is a great example of how to do a plush upper that is still breathable and secure.
David's Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit David well: Nike Vomero 17, Saucony Ride 16, Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Shoes that have fit snug: HOKA Arahi 7
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon Aero Glide
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Mild
How Flexible is the Shoe: Mild
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: Yes
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
David: I have mixed feelings on the performance of the On Cloudrunner 3. On one hand, the shoe transitions really well and accomplishes its job of being a mild to moderate stability shoe exceptionally. On the other hand, I wanted the shoe to have a little more life to it.
The On Cloudrunner 3 operates off of a well-balanced and not overly-sharp rocker. The shoe uses a posterior lateral bevel that is embedded into the platform to ease initial contact at the heel. The heel is decoupled initially and then joins up together again very quickly as you get deeper into the heel/midfoot. The lateral side is positioned more superior than the medial side, creating that posterior lateral bias. The heel also uses a heel clip, sidewalls, and a lot of sole flaring. The shoe feels very structured in the heel as you transition into a more neutral feeling midfoot and forefoot. The forefoot has a modest rocker that you can feel, though it is not very dramatic. The platform is somewhat stiff throughout, but there is some give to it when you load it. I would classify the forefoot flexibility as mild. For me, the transitions of the On Cloudrunner 3 were great and I had no issues with them.
The On Cloudrunner 3 uses Helion Superfoam as its midsole. This is the base midsole for most of their training shoes. Helion Superfoam does run on the the firmer end, but it does provide good cushioning from impact. The foam does not have too much responsiveness, but it does run stable and consistent. For being at 31mm of stack height, the shoe does feel like it has adequate cushioning for daily training. The shoe is pretty heavy for that stack height though. 11.2 ounces in my men's 9.5 is quite heavy given the stack height and comparison to the competition.
The On Cloudrunner 3 certainly chooses comfort over performance. The shoe is plush through and through in the upper. The upper is then integrated into a well-balanced rocker platform. The midsole foam can feel a bit flat for running if you are trying to do anything faster than easy pace. However, it works great for easy running, standing, and walking. This has been a favorite shoe of mine in the clinic. It is good for running, but the weight and midsole make me wanting the shoe to have a little more life to it.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
David: The On Cloudrunner 3 is a mild-to-moderate stability shoe. It focuses most of these efforts in the rearfoot. In the heel, there is a big emphasis on guidance of movement in the forward direction. They use a plastic heel clip that is also integrated into some sidewalls. The heel also has a lot of sole flaring and structure around it. As you transition into the midfoot and forefoot, there is some sole flaring, but no major stability efforts in those regions. The firmer foam and moderate stack height also make for a more stable experience. The upper lockdown is great and also increases the stability experience. The shoe feels very structured in the heel and more neutral in the midfoot and forefoot. This is a good example of a mild-to-moderate stability shoe.
Thoughts as a DPT: The Making of a Good Heel Bevel
By David Salas
At Doctors of Running, you will hear us mention heel bevels a lot. A heel bevel is a rounding of the shoe platform to ease movement through the heel when you land on it. We call this initial contact. For most people, they will initially land on the outside of their heel when they are running. This is why many people do well with a posterior-lateral bevel design.
On does a good job of creating a posterior-lateral heel bevel in the On Cloudrunner. The heel is partially decoupled with different resting heights. If you look closely at the heel from the back, the lateral side of the shoe is slightly elevated compared to the medial side. The decoupling parts then join together again quickly as you move more anterior into the shoe without altering the platform height. This creates a natural rounding in the platform where the heel is contacting the ground. In theory, this should mimic our natural heel rocker and help you roll forward into the midfoot during loading response and initial stance. There are a lot more things that go into creating fluid forward movement in shoes, but this is one good example of how you can make small changes in a shoe that impact how smooth the shoe can feel on foot.
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: I really like the On Cloudrunner 3, though I would like to see the shoe have either a bit more responsiveness in the foam and/or reduce the weight. 11.2 ounces in my men's 9.5 is quite heavy for the 31mm stack height. The foam can take a beating, but it does not have much rebound to it. I'd be okay with the foam staying the same if the shoe got down to 10.5 ounces or below though.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
David: The On Cloudrunner 3 is for runners that need some additional stability in the heel, but do not want a full-blown stability shoe. The On Cloudrunner 3 provides a lot of structure through the rearfoot and a more neutral feeling midfoot and forefoot. The ride is firmer, but the transitions are very smooth. The shoe has a slightly rockered ride that transitions well at all of the right places. The On Cloudrunner 3 is certainly best for easy paces. The midsole does not have a lot of responsiveness and the shoe does run heavy for the stack height. However, the comfort factor is high. The upper is one of the best uppers I have tried in recent history. The firmer midsole does have some give to it and it feels great for long periods of standing and walking. I think this will be an excellent standing and walking shoe for many people. For those that want smooth transitions and don't mind the weight, this can be a nice easy day shoe for running as well.
GRADES
David
Fit: A (One of the best uppers in recent history that I can think of)
Performance: B (Transitions are great. The shoe does run heavy. The midsole could be more responsive.)
Stability: A- (Great stability in the heel. A bit more neutral through the midfoot and forefoot.)
Value: A- (Especially if the shoe doubles as a walking shoe, you've got great value here.)
Personal: B+ (I wish the shoe was lighter or a touch more responsive for running. But I find myself wearing it for walking all of the time.)
Overall Design: B+/A-
SHOP | SUPPORT DOROn Cloudrunner 3Price: $159.95 at Running Warehouse
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FURTHER READING
Diadora's moderate stability trainer.
Nike's stability trainer.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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