On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper Review
By David Salas and Matthew Klein
On Cloudmonster 3 HyperPrice: $200+ at Running Warehouse
Weight: 9.6 oz, 271g (men's size 9.5)
Stack Height: 45 mm heel / 39 mm forefoot
Drop: 6 mm
Shoe Purpose: Maximum cushioned trainer, long runs
Pros: One of the more stable max cushioned trainers, Great upper. More responsive than previous version.
Cons: Despite the stack it does feel on the firmer side. Tongue is a touch thin.
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper is a maximum cushioned training shoe (45mm in the heel). The aim of the shoe is to be a daily trainer that provides plenty of cushioning and accommodation for long efforts. The shoe has a dual density midsole. The bottom layer is a firm Cloudtec that creates a slight chassis. The top layer is Helion HF, their super foam. This version feels firmer to me, but it definitely has a responsive bounce when loaded. At 9.6 ounces in Men's 9.5, this is relatively lightweight. The Cloudmonster 3 Hyper is a well-done rockered trainer for logging big miles. There is some responsiveness if needed, but this is for daily miles and big training days.
SIMILAR SHOES: ASICS Superblast 2
PAST MODEL: Cloudmonster Hyper
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
David: On has been making some great uppers this last year. That continues here. The On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper fits true to size in my men's 9.5. The forefoot volume is great and has plenty of room for swelling accommodation. The lockdown through the midfoot is good. The tongue is mild to moderately padded. It is just enough to prevent any biting or issues from the laces. The heel collar is padded and gave no irritation. The heel counter is stiff and does not have much padding, however the placement of it is done well. I had zero rubbing or pressure from that area. The mesh material feels synthetic and is surprisingly breathable. It is comfortable on foot and I had no issues with the fit. It also feels lighter and more streamlined. Despite not being a plush upper, this is surprisingly comfortable. This is one of my favorite uppers of the year so far.
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
Matt: The On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper fits me true to size in my normal Men's US size 10. The upper is a little wider with additional volume in the forefoot that offsets the toe guard overlay. The mesh is lighter mesh that is thinner up front and thickens into more padding in the rearfoot. The upper fits slightly wider with volume that offsets the slight toe box taper. I was surprised how much room I had in this upper for being a faster shoes. This continues into the midfoot with a thin but slightly padded tongue in a higher volume. I did have to tighten the laces to get a secure fit but did not get any pinching on the top of my foot. The tongue is gusseted and held my foot well even during turning. The heel has a larger amount of padding with a mildly flexible heel counter I have not noticed. Those with heel sensitivities should be fine due to the extra padding that comes down low enough to not push into my Achilles tendon. The heel fits more normal in width thanks to the padding, which helps lock the heel in. I did not have to lace lock the shoe and this is a rare case where the padding is necessary or this shoe might fit slightly long. I have not tried this shoe without socks but would not suggest it due to the knit upper.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: On Cloudboom Strike, Hoka Gaviota 6, Xero HFS, Topo Cyclone 3, Saucony Azura, Salomon Aero Glide 3
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Brooks Launch 11, Diadora Mythos Vigore 3
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 3, Adidas Agravic Speed Ultra
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: No
How Flexible is the Shoe: Not very
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: No
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Good
PERFORMANCE
David: I was a big fan of the original On Cloudmonster Hyper, and so I was excited for this release. I am happy to report that I like this version better. Two things I distinctly remembered the previous version could have improved was the heel transition and the weight. Those have both been improved. The rocker profile for the On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper is much more noticeable than before. The heel is noticeably more rounded while the late stage forefoot rocker remains smooth. The On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper also lost some weight. In my men's 9.5, this shoe weighs 9.6 ounces. I do feel like this is a good weight for the shoe given the amount of Cloudtec and rubber there is on the shoe. This is built for handling daily mileage and long runs.
The On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper performed well for just that. The shoe feels easy to fall into rhythm with plenty of cushioning underfoot. The 45mm stack height in the heel feels accurate. The midsole is divided into two layers. The bottom layer is a firm midsole by the name of Cloudtec. This encapsulates the outer rim of the shoe as well and seems to act as a chassis for the top layer. The top layer is Helion HF, their super foam. Helion HF is very responsive and helps bring the weight of the shoe down. I do not know if it is tuned differently, but this version of Helion HF feels firmer to me. However, the bounce remains noticeable. This is a shoe that feels nice to shuffle around in for long periods of time. The lighter weight and Helion HF allows it to pick up the pace some, but it feels better at easier efforts. The firmer base also feels stable for the stack height. The On Cloudmonster 3 has quickly become a go to for me for easy days.
Video: On Cloudmonster 3 vs. Cloudmonster 3 Hyper, vs. Cloudmonster 3 Lightspray Hyper vs. Superblast 3
Matt: The On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper is a stable, faster training shoe. There is full-length Helion HF foam that breaks into a truly responsive feel with a bottom layer of stable, encasing Helion. It classic On style, it is still on the firmer end but is responsive and has some compression/resilience, unlike the original version. There is a little posterior heel flare but a excellent posterolateral heel bevel that makes for smooth heel transitions once the shoe breaks in. The forefoot rocker is a little late, but when the foam starts to compress, it creates a snappy toe off that works well for daily training, uptempo runs and tempo efforts. The stable nature of this shoe has made it feel excellent for long runs when the foam breaks in (which takes 5-10 miles). It holds its shape well and does not bottom out even after long miles. The midsole is not so aggressive that it cannot handle easy runs, although it is easy to pick up the pace in these. From a workout perspective, they feel excellent for switching gears into uptempo runs, progression runs, fartleks and tempo runs. This is not the fastest shoe (unlike the LS counterpart, which I have used for tons of workouts), but a more versatile option that can actually handle both training and some speedwork (unlike the clunky version one). Long runs, daily training and progression runs have my favorite use for this shoe given the firmer bounce, better rocker and super components without feeling over the top.
Durability-wise, this shoe has been excellent. I have 40 miles on my pair and am only seeing a tiny bit of abrasion on the outsole. Traction wise this shoe grips well on dry/wet road and track. I would not use this shoe on trail given some of the exposed outsole and risk for rocks getting stuck.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
David: The On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper is intended to be a neutral shoe, but runs surprisingly stable for the 45mm stack height. This is for a few reasons. The shoe has a decently wide base underfoot, helping with cross sectional area. The bottom layer does feel like it helps with some gentle guidance while firming up the platform. The upper locks down really well and lets the platform do its job. The outsole is thicker than I remember as well. The traction holds up well and seems to firm up the platform more. This would fall into the stable neutral category.
Matt: The On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper is a stable neutral shoe. Whether by intention or not, this is one of the more stable "neutral" shoes that I have tested in 2026 (along with the Azura). The bottom EVA midsole carry for the top layer of Helion HF creates a cradle that resists side to side motion with compression of the midsole. This really helps keep the foot centered throughout the transition through the shoe. There are large sidewalls, especially the medial midfoot and medial/lateral forefoot. The medial arch was noticeable initially but does break in. The sidewalls still stay prominent and provide a highly centered ride no matter what mile you are on. Those with both medial and lateral guidance needs will do quite well in this shoe. However, if you are sensitive to a more medially stable midfoot, this may be troublesome. I have loved it.
Thoughts as a DPT: A Heel Bevel Can Make or Break a Shoe
By David Salas, PT, DPT, CSCS
A heel bevel can make or brake a shoe. A heel bevel is a rounding of the shoe platform that aims at mimicking the natural rounding and rolling motion of our foot at the heel. The previous version of the On Cloudmonster Hyper did not have a very noticeable bevel. It was just rounded enough to work for me, but it wasn't a thriving area of the shoe. When the heel bevel is not integrated well, the transition at initial contact can feel bumpy or jarring. On did a great job of updating this. The newer bevel is more pronounced biased towards the lateral side. Most of us land on our outer heel when we are running. That creates importance for a posterior-lateral heel bevel. The lateral portion is subtle in this model, but noticeable enough to make for a much nicer heel transition than the previous model of the Cloudmonster Hyper. This is one way that a small change in a shoe's geometry can have big impacts on the ride and experience the runner has.
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: This is one of the shoes that is tough for me to make recommendations, as I enjoyed it quite a bit. If I am being really picky, the tongue could have a touch more cushioning for the laces, but it already works well as is. I would challenge On to keep playing with the Helion HF and Cloudtec ratio. If they can get this done well, we could see a shoe that responds for workouts and marathon type efforts while still being a daily trainer. They do have the On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper LS which will also be releasing though. The one piece upper of that model drops the weight significantly and could push this model into that direction.
Matt: I have really enjoyed this shoe after it broke in. On is known for firm shoes but this one broke in to create an almost perfect midsole underfoot feel for me (I tend to like slightly firmer and more responsive rides). Like David, I would add a tiny bit more strategic padding in the tongue but I have not had major issues with that. I would like to see this shoe be a little lighter to improve versatility into workouts and marathon type efforts, but I already see it working well for the recreational runner for those and the 3 Hyper LS really fits the long distance racer profile well. So outside of maybe softening the Helion HF a tiny bit more for the general public, this version is a massive improvement from the original.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
David: The On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper is a maximum cushioned training shoe for those that want a rockered and stable neutral ride. The two midsoles are firmer but plenty protective. At 45mm of stack, the 9.6 oz weight is not bad for how stable the shoe runs. The Helion HF midsole does provide some bounce and upside for tempos, but this is best for daily efforts and long runs.
Matt: The On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper is for those who want maximal cushioning with a slightly firmer but responsive ride in a rockered platform with a slightly wider fit and a stable neutral ride. The slightly wider upper is comfortable but secure for those who want a little breathing room but still want a decent lockdown. The midsole is best for those that want a decently rockered shoe with slightly firmer but responsive Helion HF for long runs to uptempo/tempo workouts. The ride is quite stable thanks to the Helion HF/CloudTec encasing combined with sidewalls and the slight firmness. Every part of this shoe has improved from the previous. I will not be surprised if this shoe is $210 or more (price has not been confirmed for us yet) but this is far more worth it. The general public may still find these slightly firmer than other options but the Helion HF is shining here more than any other training shoe in the line up that I have tried (the On Cloudboom Strike is the best execution of this I have experienced). This is the stable trainer/uptempo shoe that I was hoping the On Cloudboom Max would be but clearly was not. It is far more stable, fits better and has far greater pace variety. So those that were looking for that in the On Cloudboom Max but were disappointed, like me, the On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper may be your shoe.
GRADES
David
Fit: A- (Great dimensions, good lockdown, comfortable but breathable. Tongue might benefit from a touch more cushion.)
Performance: A- (Great for rhythmic days, though I wish I could turn over a little better with the HF foam)
Stability: A (Upper lockdown great, traction good, Cloudtec chassis good, wider base and sole flare well balanced.)
Value: B+/A- (Being north of $200, this pretty expensive for a pure trainer, but it is quite nice and could give you good value. Slight upside for longer workouts.)
Personal: A- (I just wish it could go a little faster smoother, but otherwise great for daily miles and long runs.)
Overall Design: A-
Matt
Fit: A- (Slightly wider/higher volume fit with padded and secure heel. Tongue a little thin but still can tie down laces)
Performance: A- (Slightly firmer but responsive rockered ride that works for long runs, easy runs and uptempo runs)
Stability: A [Stable Neutral} (Cloudtec encasing stabilizes foot well with high full length sidewalls that keep the foot centered)
Value: B+ (>$200 is steep but the durability, comfort and versatility of this shoe will be worth it to some. It is to me)
Personal: A- (This is what I was hoping the Superblast 3 would be. Stable, quicker. Just wish it was a tad lighter but the LS version easily complements that)
Overall Design: A-
SHOP | SUPPORT DOROn Cloudmonster Hyper 3Price: $200+ at Running Warehouse
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FURTHER READING
Mizuno's cushioned trainer.
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