REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable
Fashionable
Lightweight
REASONS TO AVOID
Lacks stability
Not versatile as a daily trainer
ON Cloudsurfer - Women's Review
This shoe combines stylish design with enhanced functionality, featuring a lightweight build, making it a comfortable choice for daily runners seeking a blend of fashion and performance
This is a stylish shoe to check out for mellow miles in comfort.
Credit: Ally Arcuri
RELATED: Best Running Shoes for Women
Our Verdict
ON is known for making stylish shoes, but until recently, they haven't always been super functional as actual gear. The Cloudsurfer has entered the chat and opened up a whole new world — one with function and fashion woven throughout. The updated Cloudsurfer is the most running shoe-like running shoe we've tested from ON. It weighs in at a moderate 6.46 ounces per shoe in a women's size 6.5, has an 11 mm drop, a cushy 36 mm total stack, and the potential to keep you comfortable on the daily. While not a superstar shoe when placed head-to-head with some of the best shoes on the market, runners looking for a plush, lightweight running shoe will enjoy surfing the roads in this new, improved runner.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
ON Cloudsurfer - Women's | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Running Shoe |  Best Bang for your Buck |  Best Balance of Comfort and Responsiveness | Most Versatile | |
| Price | $119.93 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $140.00 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $120.00 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $180 List $179.95 at Amazon | $140.00 at REI Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This shoe merges a chic look with improved practicality, offering a light bouncy ride construction for everyday runs | Even with a few minor updates, this shoe shines as one for runners seeking a do-it-all road running companion | Affordable and minimally-minded, the updated Kinvara is a great everyday shoe that is suitable for a myriad of running situations | Though it lacks the lightweight tech of super shoes, the balance between its responsive midsole and lateral stability makes this a powerful everyday trainer | For epic versatility in a single shoe, we recommend this lightweight superstar |
| Rating Categories | ON Cloudsurfer - Wo... | Asics Novablast 5 -... | Saucony Kinvara 15... | Brooks Hyperion Max... | Hoka Mach 6 - Women's |
| Landing Comfort (30%) | |||||
| Responsiveness (20%) | |||||
| Stability (15%) | |||||
| Upper Comfort (15%) | |||||
| Weight (15%) | |||||
| Traction (5%) | |||||
| Specifications | ON Cloudsurfer - Wo... | Asics Novablast 5 -... | Saucony Kinvara 15... | Brooks Hyperion Max... | Hoka Mach 6 - Women's |
| Sizes Available | 5 - 11 US, regular | 5 - 12 US regular, wide |
5 - 12 US, regular |
5 - 12 US, regular |
5 - 11 US, regular & wide |
| Style | Max-Cushion | Daily trainer | Daily Trainer | Max-Cushion | Daily Trainer |
| Measured Heel Stack Height | 36 mm | 40 mm | 27 mm | 35 mm | 33 mm |
| Measured Heel-to-Toe Drop | 11 mm | 9 mm | 3 mm | 8 mm | 7 mm |
| Plate Type | None | None | None | Full length plastic | None |
| Rocker Angle | 21.0 deg | 26.5 deg | 25.0 deg | 24.5 deg | 24.5 deg |
| Rocker Apex Location | 66.0% | 61.9% | 64.7% | 65.0% | 65.4% |
| Measured Weight | 6.46 oz | 7.30 oz | 5.44 oz | 7.17 oz | 6.27 oz |
| Upper | Engineered knit | Jacquard mesh | Mesh | Mesh | Creel jaqquard |
| Midsole | Helion | FF BLAST MAX | PWRRUN | DNA Flash v2 | Supercritical EVA |
| Outsole | Rubber/Exposed foam | AHAR LO | Rubber | Rubber | Rubber |
| Heel Tab Type | None | Finger loop | None | Extended pull tab | Extended heel pull |
Our Analysis and Test Results
With a noticeable heel stack, a loaded Helion undercarriage, and CloudTec cushioning, this 11 mm drop shoe is a comfortable enough choice for daily runs.
Performance Comparison
The Cloudsurfer is not a standout shoe overall, but it does a great job combining function and fashion, making it a worthwhile shoe to consider.
Credit: Ally Arcuri
Landing Comfort
The CloudTec midsole of the ON Cloudsurfer is soft and cushy, creating a perfect landing pad for runners seeking a maximal-adjacent running shoe. With a 36 mm heel stack and dramatic-feeling 11 mm differential, the Helion foam keeps you up, up, and away from the pavement. The cushioning rebounds nicely, allowing you to comfortably roll through your strides. It is worth noting that our last pair of ON running shoes packed out incredibly quickly and were swiftly relegated to “wear around town” shoes. Even after 50-ish miles in the Cloudsurfer, they are as comfortable and soft underfoot as they were in the beginning. Heel strikers will love how stacked the rearfoot is, as it is comprised largely of shock-absorbing foam.
The thick slab of exposed foam combines with the midsole to provide a comfortable crashpad.
Credit: Ally Arcuri
Responsiveness
As is often the case with soft, plush running shoes, the Cloudsurfer is nothing to write home about when it comes to responsiveness. You can easily execute your standard tempo runs in this shoe, but its energy return is not very profound. The steep differential provides a forward rolling sensation, which propels you forward, but in a way that is dissimilar to a truly responsive shoe. If you are seeking a moderately responsive shoe that places comfort and underfoot cushion at its core, you'll love the Cloudsurfer. If you want to hear the iconic pop pop pop of a racing shoe that forces you forward, this is not going to be a match for you.
The Cloudsurfer's rocker shape seems speed-friendly, but the softness of its foam steals some of its energy return.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Stability
While not unsafe by any means, the Cloudsurfer falls a bit short in terms of stability. Its ultra-high stack holds your body away from the ground, and the heel lift is significant. The shoe's lateral architecture is extremely soft, which impedes its ability to hold you steady as you maneuver around turns and uneven roads. Its exposed foam and rubber outsole perform poorly on wet and gravelly roads, which is disappointing since this is a feature the manufacturer claims to have upgraded. When looking for a new daily trainer, we often consider stability as a crucial factor since many people will wear their running shoes to their HIIT workouts. While the Cloudsurfer is a decent enough daily trainer, it is not one we recommend for workout use because of its high stack and heel lift and the instability of this combo.
The thick stack of underfoot cushioning takes away from stability, but creates a very comfortable ride.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Upper Comfort
We'll start with the negative here since the positive attributes outweigh them. The toe box of the Cloudsurfer is a bit short, both vertically and horizontally. This isn't a dealbreaker on this otherwise very comfortable shoe, but it is something to be aware of. Aside from the slightly snug toe box space, the engineered mesh is comfortable and breathable. The chunky heel collar stays snug and comfortable while the thickly padded tongue gently cradles your upper foot. We struggled to get the lace system as locked down as we like it for speedier efforts, but this shoe has it all when viewed solely through the lens of comfort.
The stark downslope at the forefoot feels a bit short. Otherwise, the Cloudsurfer is an incredibly comfortable shoe.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Weight
For a plush running shoe, the Cloudsurfer is impeccably lightweight. Weighing 6.46 ounces, it feels incredibly lightweight when worn. It's not the lightest shoe in our lineup, but it boasts one of the best comfort-to-weight ratios. The choice to leave the outsole foam exposed feels like a risk by ON, but this small attribute helps keep the weight low and proved to be surprisingly durably throughout our testing.
For a comfortable shoe, the Cloudsurfer is notably lightweight, making it a nice option for chill runs on mellow training days.
Credit: Ally Arcuri
Traction
The Cloudsurfer is simply not it when it comes to traction. Its rubber and exposed foam outsole doesn't do the bare minimum when it comes to traction, in our opinion. This is one of the last shoes we'd recommend for runners who know they will be running in early morning dew, light rain, or any type of variable terrain.
You can see how the forefoot portion of the outsole doesn't have lugs, just holes. This part of the shoe is where traction matters most, and the Cloudsurfer just doesn't have it.
Credit: Ally Arcuri
Should You Buy the ON Cloudsurfer?
We often have a quick yes-or-no answer here, but it is not so simple when it comes to the Cloudsurfer. It is not a versatile daily trainer, in that we do not recommend it for gym use or agility training. We have other shoes in our lineup that hold up to those types of demands with ease. However, the Cloudsurfer is plenty comfortable with its foam-loaded features, making it a good choice for slower daily runs. Ultimately, you'll likely be satisfied on the basis of comfort alone if you choose to buy the Cloudsurfer, but there are more versatile shoes that we would recommend above this one.
We picked apart every bit of this shoe and still come away saying that it's comfortable but doesn't have as much running technology as we have grown to expect.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
What Other Road Running Shoes Should You Consider?
For comfortable underfoot cushion in a more technical-feeling package, we joyfully recommend the Asics Novablast 5. The Novablast is silky, comfortable, and ready for action, making it an all-around better choice for your versatile running needs. The Hoka Clifton 9 is less cushy but equally protective. The Clifton offers significantly more stability, and since it is slightly firmer, it feels a bit more capable. Lastly, the Asics Gel Kayano 31 has a truly loaded underfoot stack and scored better in every metric except weight.
—Ally Arcuri
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